Turbulence
by Super Vegetarott
Summary: In a world where one slight alteration in Bardock's last stand with Frieza is made, the destruction of Planet Vegeta happens several minutes after. Due to this, Kakarot's space pod is sent off-course, crash-landing on a planet known as Namek. From there, he is raised to become a son of Namek. How does this affect Earth's people, the Namekians, and Kakarot himself? Read to find out!
1. Chapter I: Divergence

_In the story you all know, shortly following Bardock's failed attempt to save Planet Vegeta from its inevitable destruction, a lone space pod would be sent off on a voyage into the stars. The young child it carried on its path was the young Saiyan warrior Kakarot, who, after hitting his head, would go on to become the ultimate savior of Earth under his adopted name, Goku. _

_However, in this universe, a change in Bardock's confrontation with Frieza would result in the birth of an entire new story for Kakarot… _

* * *

**Turbulence Prologue – Divergence**

Bardock stood alone, looking into the crimson skies of Planet Vegeta. Just above the atmosphere was Frieza, the mighty Arcosian who was universally known as the overseer of the Planet Trade Organization—the most feared being in all of existence.

He was about to attempt the impossible, he realized. Frieza's power far outclassed anything that a Saiyan warrior could ever hope to achieve. However, he wasn't about to let that stop him, not when the very fate of the Saiyan race was at stake. His heart was pounding, his blood boiling with anticipation. He would either prevail over his former overlord, the one who, with a simple command to Dodoria, had put him and his task force through such strife and agony… or die trying, alone and forgotten.

At first, their relationship as business partners had worked out well—Frieza allowed them to conquer other worlds with the use of the empire's technology, which, in turn, satiated their lust for battle. Planet Vegeta was soon renovated into a military base for the business, allowing them for better thriving civilization and better prosperity—life couldn't be better for the barbaric savages after being employed by the seemingly-friendly Arcosian. It seemed to have been a beneficial relationship for both parties, but then the Frost Demon had begun to take note of the Saiyans' overwhelming potential.

Though their power was inconsequential when compared to Frieza's, the Arcosian tyrant feared their strength in numbers. As such, his right-hand man—Zarbon, the narcissistic, self-proclaimed beauty—had recommended utter and complete extermination of them all. Frieza had heeded such advice, eventually deeming it a good idea to do so.

Now, at this very moment, said Frost Demon was currently occupying the upper atmosphere of Planet Vegeta—ready to vaporize the planet without so much of a battle. In truth, the lizard-resembling creature did fear them—if they were to hold an uprising at the moment, there was a _slight _chance they could succeed. Needless to say, Frieza couldn't allow that to happen.

Due to his psychic abilities, Bardock knew he hadn't much time to make his last stand—it was now or never. Beginning to levitate, the Saiyan prepared to blast off to his destiny, clenching his hands into fists and grounding his teeth as he thought of all the lives that would be taken if Frieza was able to carry through with his mission. He didn't care at all about the lives the Frost Demon had taken; what mattered was that he dared to claim the souls of his own people. Though he may not have cared for each and every one of his fellow Saiyan warriors, he could still feel and share in their undying devotion for battle and honor.

And if he failed to stop Frieza today, he knew that it was simply all over. Nothing would remain of the Saiyans—their culture, their people, and their planet would be all blown to smithereens.

With the thought of extinction and death running rampant through Bardock's mind, he quickly ignited his clear aura and dashed off into the skies, preparing for what would be the final chapter in the battle for Planet Vegeta.

* * *

As his ship lazily drew closer to its destination, Frieza was unable to tear his gaze from the red asteroid of a planet. It was really a beautiful thing to behold, yet it was filled with all those filthy primates—that simply wouldn't do.

"What a stunning sight…" he said with that sinister grin of his, taking in every aspect of the planet that he could before it would be gone. "…Sometimes I amaze myself at how callous I can be."

Behind him, with no less of a malicious smirk, stood his right-hand man, who casually swept his long braid behind his ear. "Well, sire…"

Suddenly, a dull sound reverberated around the chamber as the doors opened, and through it came a running soldier, who immediately halted in his tracks and saluted upon seeing his overlord. "Lord Frieza!" he began, not wasting a moment, "an intruder is approaching!"

Nonchalantly, Frieza lifted his brow, amused with the idea of someone actually daring to challenge his reign. "Oh? Do tell… perhaps I'll even get my hands dirty for once..."

* * *

"_**Frieza!"**_

Bardock lunged through the upper atmosphere of Planet Vegeta, ruthlessly fending off a continuous garrison of soldiers as he did so. Though they had the advantage in numbers, the angered warrior refused to allow that fact to deter him from his ultimate goal. With each round of soldiers, the Saiyan continuously fended them off with a combination of well-maneuvered blows, decimating them in his wake.

However, he soon found that his previous wounds were catching up to him; he couldn't endure the pain much longer. As such, he made a foolish pause, which would prove to be his undoing. Immediately, he was subdued by a swarm of soldiers. Trapped within the clump of warriors, Bardock found himself incapable of moving even the slightest limb.

Unfortunately for these soldiers, the revenge-lusting warrior wasn't keen on giving up so easily. Summoning whatever reserves he had left in his body, Bardock summoned his azure aura and released it around his immediate flank in a maelstrom of energy, resulting in his foes being instantly incapacitated. They fell into the lower atmosphere of Planet Vegeta, unconscious, though the spiky-haired Saiyan didn't even spare them a glance—they weren't his main concern. All that was on his mind was revenge—pure, utter retribution for what Frieza had ordered upon him and his people. Though he may not have gotten along with some of his fellow warriors so well, Bardock respected the Saiyan code of honor just as much as the next tail-donning humanoid. To think that Frieza would try to deny that from him and his kin was just purely unacceptable…

Fueling himself with these thoughts, Bardock dashed forward once more, barreling through a massive pack of soldiers, his burning aura never once faltering. How many soldiers had he slain? He didn't know. All that mattered was that he gained revenge—his rightful revenge. The death toll was inconsequential; as long as Frieza's life was snuffed out this day, Bardock didn't care how many lives he had to take.

Suddenly, he was trapped by another body of soldiers, rendering him incapable of moving. However, unlike before, Bardock was able to summon a burst of energy from his right palm, which he then detonated instantaneously. The soldiers, like their predecessors, immediately fell back into the gravity of the Saiyan homeworld, deceased.

"Frieza!" the Saiyan shouted, ablaze with absolute fury. The spaceship was in clear sight; there was no escape. At last, the moment of truth had come… he would either prevail here, or perish, like the rest of his race would. The final battle was only moments away…

Suddenly, as if out of nowhere, another clamp of soldiers surrounded him, trapping him and rendering him incapable of moving. He tried to flex his muscles in order to concentrate even a modicum of his power, but even that proved to be too much. He was soon losing feeling in his arms; his legs began to grow numb shortly after.

To make matters worse, the remaining soldiers quickly swarmed Bardock, throwing punches and kicks at the subdued warrior to wear him down further. Though the power difference was quite significant between the Saiyan and each individual soldier, their combined power was more than enough to send the bandana-wearing warrior reeling with each barrage of blows.

But he simply couldn't quit here; the stakes were much too high for submittal. He refused to go out to a pack of grunts that were nowhere near Frieza in strength, nor would he allow himself to lose at all. He didn't care how, but Frieza had to be stopped.

"FRIEZA!" Just the thought of slaughtering that vile demon invigorated Bardock with newfound power, which he used to send an explosive burst of energy all around him, sending the soldiers congregating around him into all different directions.

Not missing a beat, the Saiyan flew higher into the air and fired a sphere of an azure hue, instantly vaporizing an entire garrison of soldiers in his wake. He followed this up by preparing another sphere in his right hand, which he threatened to throw at the remainder of Frieza's minions.

"If you want a fight, bring it!" he shouted, dashing towards the final horde of warriors with a battle cry. 'I can't die here… not when the fate of the Saiyans depends on it!'

With one swift maneuver, he threw his leg in an arc, catching one blue-skinned warrior in the jaw with a bone-shattering kick. The wounded soldier fell back, unintentionally crashing into his comrades, leaving them wide open for attack. Quickly capitalizing on this, Bardock threw his sphere of energy and watched with a solemn expression as it detonated, instantly vaporizing the remaining warriors.

"It's terrible, isn't it? Those poor fools are like dominos—if you tip one over, they all fall…just like you filthy, idiotic monkeys."

Instantly, Bardock whipped around to lock eyes with his former overlord, who was slowly levitating down to his level with that smug expression of his. For once, he didn't arrive with his hoverchair, signifying that he was ready for battle. His garnet eyes looked as sinister as ever, directing their gaze solely on him.

"Frieza…" he growled, tightly clenching his fists as he tried to control his burning emotions, "…Y-You…"

"I will admit, however," the Frost Demon continued on, completely interrupting him, "you somehow caught wind of my plans… however, you're sadly mistaken if you think you'd be able to stop me from blowing your precious planet into dust." Casually, he raised his right index finger, a small orange sphere beginning to form at the very tip of his nail.

"I don't care what it takes; you won't continue your reign of terror over my people! We're done working for you!" Immediately, he dashed towards his opponent in a flare of blue light, his left arm outstretched for a roundhouse punch, his mind burning with rage and the desire to see the tyrant dead at his feet. 'Tora…Fasha… Shugesh… Borgos… this is for you!'

He quickly swung his fist, watching with a confident smirk as it raced towards the tyrant's exposed skull—

—but his momentum was quickly halted when Frieza's left hand lackadaisically reached upward and caught it, putting pressure on it by twisting it ever so slightly. Immediately, his arm was burning with unadulterated pain, enough so that the shock nearly sent Bardock into unconsciousness.

'W-What?' thought Bardock as he tried to free himself from Frieza's death grip . '…There's no way he could be this strong…'

"Such bravery of yours should be rewarded, you know," said the tyrant chillingly as he stared into the Saiyan's onyx eyes with that merciless grin, watching with twisted amusement as he tried to prevent crying out in agony. "I'd say that you deserve the distinction of being the last Saiyan in existence, wouldn't you say?"

"I'd rather die than watch everything burn to shreds… and that's exactly what I'm going to do."

His response caught Frieza off-guard, visibly causing the tyrant to frown for a moment as he pondered the implications of his opponent's words. "Wh-what are you-"

"If I'm going to die… I may as well take you with me!" Bardock's free hand stretched out as quick as lightning and caught the Arcosian's jaw, which, out of surprise, forced Frieza to drop his grip on the Saiyan. He would then quickly dash behind Frieza and wrap his arms around his neck in a sleeper hold, lock his legs around Frieza's tail, and summon up as much power as he possibly could—and more. He couldn't afford to fail here, not when everything was on the line.

"Foolish monkey… let go of me this instant!" Frieza hissed, trying to squirm his way out of Bardock's grip to no avail. 'What the hell is he planning—no Saiyan should have a power like this! Could he be…'

"I swore that Planet Vegeta wouldn't be destroyed… and I meant it. If that means killing myself in order to preserve the Saiyan people, I'm all for it!" Tightening his grip on his former overlord, Bardock prepared for the end. "Say goodbye, Fri-"

BZZZZT! Somehow, someway, it all took a turn for the worse. Somehow slipping one finger free, Frieza pressed it into Bardock's abdomen and fired a Death Beam straight through it.

"Ngh… gah…" Bardock retched, his vision beginning to go white as blood oozed out of his body. Easily, now free of the Saiyan's hold, Frieza grasped him by the neck and hurled him back down towards the planet, where he would drift almost lifelessly back towards his home planet.

Though he had won the battle, Frieza still felt rage coursing through his body. 'Curse him… had I not found a way to escape, that little suicide stunt could've killed me! These Saiyans have grown strong enough; it's time I wiped them out!'

If he'd had any doubt about his decision before, this encounter solidified it. Raising his index finger once more, Frieza began to gather energy for his Supernova attack…

* * *

As he was sent freefalling back into Planet Vegeta's gravity, Bardock felt nothing but despair. He had failed to defeat Frieza; he had failed in saving the Saiyans' legacy. Anything and everything they had stood for would be ultimately destroyed in a matter of moments.

Darkness began to creep up the corners of his vision; his body began to falter for what appeared to be the final time. The pain, though it burned with the intensity of a thousand fires, seemed to soothe as his vision blurred.

Finally, it was simply too much for his body to take, and he faded into unconsciousness…

* * *

"What… is this…?"

_The sky was a beautiful emerald coloration; the seas were a majestic lime green. The two warriors stood on a blue plateau of land, staring each other down. The smaller of the two had pale white skin, with purple bio-gems on his cranium and his shoulders. The other was a humanoid, standing tall over his foe at about six feet. His navy blue gi blew gently in the wind as he mentally prepared himself for battle. _

"_I always knew I was never one of them… but that doesn't mean I won't make you pay for each and every one of their deaths! For everyone you've killed, both Namekian and Saiyan, you'll pay, Frieza!"_

* * *

In that moment, he knew that the destruction of Planet Vegeta wouldn't be in vain. There was still a glimmer of hope for the Saiyans, one last beacon of hope for complete and utter revenge against Frieza.

And his name was none other than…

"KAKAROT!" Bardock shouted in one last act of defiance before his body ultimately gave out on him, sending him to the next world just before the Supernova entered Planet Vegeta's atmosphere and swallowed his body whole. The fiery sphere reduced his deceased body to dust particles not even a moment later, ending the legacy of Bardock for all of eternity...

...and, ironically, beginning the legacy of his son.

Moments later, Frieza's Supernova sank into the planet's core, and Planet Vegeta exploded in one last flare of a blazing orange hue.

* * *

_Though Bardock's attempt at sacrificing himself to kill Frieza ultimately proved futile, it had granted the Saiyans several more minutes of their lives. Subsequently, it gave a space pod just a few more minutes to travel toward its destination, all while trying to burn its recorded message of utter destruction into its passenger's brain._

_However, just because the space pod had escaped Vegeta's destruction did not mean it wasn't susceptible to attack. Frieza's Supernova would cause a chain reaction to occur within the immediate asteroid field; one of those asteroids, in fact, would crash into said spacecraft. _

_Normally, one would expect the pod to shatter at the force of an asteroid, but this was no ordinary space pod—this was one of the finest spaceships ever crafted by the Planet Trade Organization. Knowing how delicate a newborn was, the scientists would supply them with only the most reinforced steel they could develop._

_But that asteroid _did _have one lasting effect; it threw the system off-course and sent it ferrying across the stars toward a planet known as Namek. _

* * *

Elder Moori was an aged, wise Namekian, who many called upon whenever they were in distress or in need of comfort. He was often the one consulted when there appeared to be a conflict or problem, and today would prove no different.

"…What is it, Elder Moori?" asked a young child, no more than perhaps eleven or twelve, by the name of Nail. "I've never seen anything like this in my life before..." It looked like some odd shape of sorts, yet it seemed to hold a living creature in there. It didn't add up to him...

Looking downward at the freshly made crater, the elder patted the child's head. "To be honest, child, I don't know the answer myself… but I do know that it's a living, breathing creature."

Inside the mysterious looking sphere appeared to be some sort of organism—it had spiked up black hair and was currently unconscious, no doubt due to the long voyage it must've taken to get to their homeworld.

"…That message…" pondered Tsuno, a fellow Elder of Moori's. "…It's telling him to destroy everyone on 'Earth…' a fellow planet, perhaps?"

"What matters now is not the meaning behind this message, but that he never follows it," responded Moori, reaching into the craft and pulling the child out of it. Looking at its unconscious form, Moori began walking it towards a small home. "He is our responsibility now, and if raising him as our own means one less evildoer in our universe, I'm all for it."

"_Remember, Kakarot, that the full moon shall come soon enough, and that shall allow you victory over your adversaries."_

Moori paused in his tracks, making sure to hold the child tightly within his arms to ensure he didn't drop it. "Tsuno, did you hear that?"

"That part about the full moon?" Tsuno asked, frowning. "I've never even heard about a moon, much less a full one."

"No… his name." Moori gave a gentle smile towards the child, gently brushing its hair out of its eyes. "Kakarot."

* * *

_Welcome, readers, to _Turbulence_! This is my third and final fic that I plan to publish on my own, and I don't think I could've chosen an idea I'm more passionate about writing. _

_It's sort of weird to say this, but _Turbulence _was actually inspired by one of my _own _fics, _Shimmering Crystals. _Having Bardock crash-land and wake up on a new planet was exciting and original, but it only served to get him going to Earth by Chapter 4. While trying to outline Goku's persona in said fic, I realized that both of my fics heavily focus on the theme of Saiyan pride and honor. I decided that I wanted something different, something a bit more diverse. I then came up with this idea by using a modified version of my catalyst for SC._

_The neat thing about this story is that it doesn't only just affect Kakarot as well. Having Kakarot out of the picture is sure to affect the people of Earth, so expect to see the Earth cast make their appearances soon enough._

_I'd just like to clear something up about the Namekians here, as it's going to be a major plot point in chapters to come: I view Namekians to have an aging process similar to humans. The only reason, in my view, why Piccolo had such a rapid development was because he wasn't exactly a "pure" Namekian—he was spiritually tethered to Kami's life force, so I figure that means he had to develop faster, as surely an adult spirit is greater than a child's._

_Thanks for tuning into _Turbulence, _and I hope to see you read the next chapter!_


	2. Chapter II: Rise and Fall

**Dragon Ball Saga – Part 1: Rise and Fall**

Standing on the precipice of a large cliff, Elder Moori could feel his heart nearly stop beating in his chest. He could feel the presence of the Grand Elder, Guru, inside—he had never had the blessing to meet him before, nor did he have it now, but he knew that the Grand Elder needed to be aware of Kakarot's sudden arrival on the planet.

Swallowing slightly, Moori slackened his jaw and took a step towards the Grand Elder's home, feeling a chill of fear running down his spine as soon as he felt his moccasin touch the ground.

It hadn't been long after Moori's landing on the peak when he heard that booming, powerful voice resound through the small building with only a single word:

"Enter."

Moori did just that, feeling sweat cascade wildly down his mien with each and every step he took towards Guru's abode. Sighing heavily, as if he were expelling his fears, he took his first few steps into the room, where he finally came face to face with the Grand Elder—who, admittedly, looked quite different from what he had expected.

Instead of the eternally young, all-powerful Namekian Moori had envisioned in his mind, he was a frail, aged man who appeared as if he barely had the strength to move a finger. His gargantuan size suggested he had remained idle for quite a while – due to his age, perhaps – and that he hadn't seen the sun in what appeared to be ages. Compared to the vibrant, emerald green coloration of his brothers' skin tone, Guru's was a dark and chilling olive.

'It seems as if he could pass on at any given moment…' Moori thought to himself, absolutely shell-shocked with his misinterpretation of the Grand Elder. '…Why hasn't he come to us for help? Back home we've an abundant supply of water; surely he wouldn't need to worry about taking from us—'

"Do not fear," came Guru's booming voice again, completely interrupting Moori from his musing. Upon noticing the horror on his child's face, the aged Namekian offered for a gentle smile instead. "I may not be in the best of shape, but I can assure you that my life is not close to over quite yet. Now, child, what exactly is on your mind for you to come here?"

Moori hung his head in shame, somewhat perturbed that the elder was able to read his mind—he hadn't meant to be disrespectful, though he himself could admit that his internal thoughts appeared to be filled with spite. "I'm sorry, Grand Elder, it's just that… never mind." He awkwardly shifted his stance, almost as if he, as a fully grown adolescent, was being reprimanded for his actions.

"Do not fret about it, as I said." Guru's eyes showed no sign of malice; in fact, he seemed hardly intimidating at all. Still, though, Moori seemed to be afraid of him—that simply wouldn't do. "I only wish to know why you are here today. It's been quite a while since I've had visitors."

Swallowing heavily, Moori decided it was now or never. "I do not come here for my own purposes, but rather, for a child's. Recently, Grand Elder, we had some sort of craft land in one of our expanse fields, resulting in a rather large tremor that caught the attention of Elder Tsuno and the child Nail. I was notified of this not long after and brought to the sight, where we came across a young infant wailing. It appeared that he was the one sent across the stars to our planet, but we soon learned that it was a miracle he landed here at all."

"Why is that?" Guru frowned, seemingly not understanding. "Namek, even before the great drought, was known as a simple remote planet—almost no one knew of our race back then, and even less do now due to the purging of almost all Namekians."

"Admittedly, we believe that his landing here was nothing more than chance." Moori seemed to relax, now having the full confidence to stare his father in the eyes. "He was destined to land on Planet Earth and wipe out its entire race, but instead, he landed here. Though we don't understand why, we do know that he's nothing more than a poor, innocent child who has the chance to avoid becoming the monster he would grow up to be." Inhaling a deep breath, the elder stopped skirting around the question and finally said:

"I wish to raise him as one of us and show him right from wrong, evil from good. I want to ensure that he never lifts a finger against another with malice, and that if he does so, only for the sake of protection. I don't want to see a monstrosity emerge from this child when we have the chance to save him from that path." Moori then stopped, looking deep into the eyes of the Grand Elder, hoping to find something – anything – within them that would offer to spare the child from the horror of being an evildoer.

"Your words are powerful, my son, and you do appear genuine. But I must ask you… this child—"

"Kakarot," Moori interjected "His name is Kakarot." Immediately after he uttered that last word, his eyes widened with shock—had he really just cut off the Grand Elder?

To his relief, however, Guru appeared to see it as nothing but informative, as he soon pressed on without any scorn or malice in his eyes. "Yes, Kakarot… you must realize that he is _not _one of us. As such, it will be extremely difficult to even consider raising him, especially when we consider that he must consume different substances than we do."

Moori gasped when he realized this, but he knew it to be true. "I-I hadn't thought that far ahead…" Would this jeopardize Kakarot's health if he were to stay on Namek? He didn't know, but he vowed that he couldn't send him back to where he came from or anywhere else—Kakarot was his responsibility now, and he simply couldn't allow him to perish. "…but there is still one way I know of to fix this problem."

"Do tell, my child." Guru showed no bias towards his child, only waiting to see what he would come up with next. "How would we possibly care for an infant if we don't know what he needs for survival?"

"The Dragon Balls, Grand Elder. We can use them to obtain the supplies we'll need for Kakarot, the knowledge of how to produce more of these materials, and perhaps learn of his origins."

Guru nodded approvingly down at Moori, to which he cracked a smile. "I must say that I am quite impressed; you seem to have a true plan for Kakarot's survival."

That recently-born smile soon evaporated in place of a frown—Moori knew that he had simply thought of his ideas on the fly. "I must admit that I wasn't fully cognizant of these plans before I came here today, Grand Elder. I simply refuse to force Kakarot into the unknown once again just because we are unequipped to raise him."

"I applaud your courage, Elder Moori." Guru seemed to break out into a warm smile once again, almost as if his persona before had been an entire facade. "And that is why I must admit to you the truth: I have been fully aware of this information for quite some time."

"R-Really?" Moori gasped. 'But then… what was the purpose of having me explain this…?'

"I needed to test your convictions, my son. Though I can read nearly every thought of yours and can tell your heart is pure, I did not know how serious and dedicated you would be to raising him. I can tell that with you as a guardian and mentor to him, he will certainly go far as a son of Namek and as a person overall."

"D-Does this mean…"

"Yes, Elder Moori. I grant you permission to use the Dragon Balls for Kakarot's survival, and raise the boy himself to become a man of kindness and benevolence."

* * *

_Age 749_, _on another planet…_

The warm glow of the sun kissed the breaking horizon gently as it shone brightly in the sky, watching down on the Earth below as Son Gohan made his way up the mountainside towards the cabin which he called home. Just as he made it to the top and unlocked the door to his cabin, a loud noise startled him, nearly forcing him to drop the deceased fish in his hands.

'Is that… a car?' thought Gohan as it drew closer and closer, kicking up asphalt and debris as it traveled on its path with a mighty roar. 'I thought nobody lived around these parts, save for the animals and myself—just what is this person doing here?'

As the car drew closer and closer, tearing up the road it traveled upon with a mighty roar, it soon began clear that its destination was his cabin – there was nowhere else that this winding road would lead to.

Suddenly, he could make out more details—it seemed a young, rather pretty girl was the one behind the wheel, and seemed to have a genuine smile on her face.

'She doesn't seem malicious, that's for sure...' Gohan thought as he walked closer to the incoming vehicle, ready to stop the girl in her tracks if need be. '…but I can't let down my guard when the possibility still exists of her being a robber.'

Suddenly, the car came to an abrupt halt and the driver hopped out, revealing the girl's full figure. She appeared to have a gun on her person, but she didn't seem to have any intentions of attacking at all—more likely than not, she would've tried to sneak attack him if she dared to try anything.

"Hello, sir," she began politely, looking him directly in the eyes. "It might be a bit weird that a city girl like me is roaming around here…" She noticed his gaze had been drawn to her gun, and she frowned, realizing that he was trying to test her intentions.

"Oh, this?" she asked, indicating to her weapon. "Sorry, I've been using that in case of wildlife. As you can tell, I'm not exactly strong enough to fend them off."

"Please, don't worry about your gun—I assure you that's not why I'm so concerned. It just seems suspicious that you would be out here on your own if not to rob someone." Gohan relaxed his body, now confident in the fact that this girl meant no harm to him. "Now then, why exactly are you here?"

The girl seemed to mull over something for a moment – most likely debating whether or not to trust him – but she soon answered him. "I was hoping that I could take your Dragon Ball from you, actually." She pulled out what appeared to be a small, golden-orange sphere that shined brightly even in the clear sky. "If you collect all seven of these things, legend has it that you can get any wish you want!"

"So what exactly _do _you want to get out of this? Money? Fame?" Gohan asked. "I'm sorry, but you must understand that this doesn't exactly sound all too normal to me. I believe your story, but I don't know if I can trust you with my Dragon Ball yet." He had no problems with relinquishing the sphere; what mattered was what she planned to wish for.

"Well… to be honest…" she hung her head down and blushed wildly. "I want to wish for the perfect boyfriend."

Gohan chuckled to himself, realizing that she was indeed just a city girl with no real intentions of doing harm. "Well… if your wish is as simple as that and one that doesn't do any real harm to the world, I suppose I can give you the sphere on one condition."

"And that would be?" She looked back up at him, waiting to hear what he had to say.

"I wish to accompany you on your trip. You'll surely need someone to protect you from harm; after all, you can't be the only one who's been scouting for these spheres."

The girl frowned, apparently not pleased with his offer. "Um… well, not to be rude, but you don't exactly look like you're in perfect fighting condition."

To this, Gohan smirked slightly and used a fraction of his speed to dash behind her and hop into her car; from there, he started the car up before returning to his previous position in front of Bulma all within the span of a few seconds.

She hadn't caught even the slightest glimpse of him.

"D-Did you just…" she stammered, unable to comprehend how he had such speed at his disposal. "I-I guess I could use your help after all…"

"I apologize if I frightened you," chuckled Gohan, "but I only wanted to show you the very real threat of what a trained fighter can do. I'm most likely not the only human out there with speed like that, and I'd rather you not get hurt because you didn't have anyone to back you up."

Turning back to the direction of his cabin, Gohan smiled and held out his hand toward it. "Now then… I do have lunch almost prepared. Would you care to join me and fill me in on what exactly the Dragon Balls are?"

"S-Sure," she responded, dusting off her outfit before extending her hand. "I don't know if I ever said it, but my name's Bulma Briefs."

"Son Gohan," he responded as the two began to walk towards the cabin, and subsequently, the beginning of a new adventure to come.

* * *

_For those on Earth, a new journey had just begun that would change the planet for years and years to come. However, for those on Namek, an adventure had already begun twelve years earlier with the arrival of Kakarot..._

* * *

_Age 749_

"Now, Kakarot, I expect you to retain the information we've learned about our culture today—I'll be quizzing you on it tomorrow." Tsuno stood up, smiling, and ruffled the child's hair. "You're learning our history rather well, child, and I hope that you don't fail to disappoint tomorrow."

"Don't worry about it, Elder Tsuno; I'll do just fine. I'll study hard for tomorrow!" Kakarot grinned cheekily, his furry tail wagging behind him.

'The more he learns of our history, the closer he comes to learning the truth about his origins…' Tsuno thought, the slightest hint of a frown forming across his face. '…But that time has not come quite yet.'

"So…" Kakarot prodded on, trying to get his mentor's attention. "…Can I go outside and play with my friends now?"

"It's approaching bedtime for you, if I'm not mistaken." He looked to Moori – who was standing in the doorway so as not to interrupt Kakarot's lessons – and received a firm nod in response.

"Aww, really?" pouted Kakarot, crossing his arms in protest. "I hate having to sleep—all the other Namekians don't have to! Why me?"

"Kakarot, you're still a growing child," came the response of Moori. "It's essential for your body to gain sleep while you're still young, or else you won't grow to be strong and tall when you're older."

"If you say so…" he muttered, scurrying off to his quarters for rest. "Stupid sleep…"

"I should go with him," interjected Moori quickly. "He doesn't take very well to sleeping for some reason; if I don't make sure he goes to sleep, it's very likely he'll just stay up until his body gives out on him."

Tsuno couldn't help but grin at the sight of parental maturity emanating from Moori. "You've really taken up the mantle of Kakarot's true protector, haven't you?"

Moori lifted his brow. "What are you saying, Tsuno? You and I know that this is more of a collaborative effort between all of us than anything else."

"Don't play the fool with me, Moori. You and I both know that _you _were the one who ultimately wanted to take Kakarot in and raise him, even when the others had doubt… including me. Then _you _were the one to ultimately go visit the Grand Elder for his approval, and you were the one who learned how to summon the Dragon Balls from him."

"I-I guess I have done a lot for the boy…" smiled Moori as he began to walk to Kakarot's room in the small house. "…but my job isn't quite done yet. Once I see him fully grown with a pure heart, then my goal will be complete."

* * *

His obsidian, onyx eyes stared at the mattress below him as his face contorted into a scowl. 'Stupid bed. I want to go swimming with my friends, but I have to go to stupid sleep or else Elder Moori will get upset with me.' It wasn't fair that he had to sleep but the others didn't—was he seen as inferior to them? Was this some sort of punishment for something he did earlier in his life?

Sighing heavily, Kakarot changed from his everyday attire – a navy blue cloak with alabaster-colored pants – into his sleeping garments, muttering to himself as he did so. 'Guess I've got no choice…' Crawling onto his mattress, he shut his eyes and tried to wander off to sleep...

* * *

…hours passed. Still, he couldn't fall asleep. The constant chatter of the Namekians outside was enough to keep the child awake. It was frustrating – irritating – to know that they could be outside living their lives while he was forced to stay inside and simply sleep.

Tossing and turning in his bed, Kakarot's thoughts of resentment and intolerance of his situation refused to allow him peace as he drifted off to sleep. His eyes simply wouldn't stay shut regardless of what he tried.

'No more,' he finally decided mentally, sitting up fully in his bed. 'I don't care what they want anymore—it's time for me to earn what everyone else has. Whatever reason they've got isn't fair; I shouldn't be punished by being deprived of time with my friends every day!'

Quickly donning his alabaster pants and his blue cloak, he quickly opened the window and scurried out, making certain that he evaded anyone's sight. From there, he quickly crept across the wastelands in a frantic run, a grin breaking out on his face when he came across the murky green waters, flowing quietly in the light of Namek's three suns.

'Finally!' he grinned, hopping into the sea without a care in the world. No less than a moment later, his body was completely submerged in the water. He grinned happily, feeling the warm water envelop his figure and provide him with warmth. From there, he suddenly kicked off and threw his arms forward, giggling like the child he was as he swam forward and away from the wasteland he was previously on.

* * *

'What's he doing now…?'

* * *

As his friends slowly but surely came into view, a cheeky grin spread Kakarot's features. A small group of his brothers were huddled near the water's edge, lapping lightly at their feet. As fast as he could, he took in a lungful of air, dunked himself underwater, and shot forward as fast as he could.

Bringing his head up for air, Kakarot began to tread water as he extended his hand towards his friends. "Come on in; the water's fine!"

"K-Kakarot?" one of the children – named Linas – asked, his eyes widened with surprise. "Aren't you supposed to be… what was it called…?"

"Sleeping?" finished Kakarot with a scowl. "So what? I'm just as every bit a Namekian as you – if you guys don't need to sleep…" Stubbornly, he pointed towards his chest with his thumb, "then _I _don't have to sleep. Anyway… forget about that; let's play!"

"Sorry, Kakarot, but we actually have to go work in the fields now," came the response of Radula with a frown. "We actually just got out of the water a little while ago; if you were up, you could've joined us. Sorry... maybe we can play tomorrow, Kakarot."

"Dang it!" hissed Kakarot to himself, dunking his fist underneath the water as he watched his friends trot off to their work, leaving him all on his lonesome. Briefly, he considered going back to his quarters, but he soon realized that wasn't an option – he came out here to swim, and despite being alone, that was exactly what he planned to do.

Inhaling as much air as he could, Kakarot slipped underwater and shot forward like a speeding bullet, moving his arms in small strokes as he kept himself afloat. His legs, tiny as they were, began to kick off as fast as possible to support himself as he swam.

It bothered him, but he couldn't swim how he normally did—the elders would surely be woken up if he were to make a lot of noise or commotion. Keeping his movements as quiet and undetectable as he possibly could, he continued to drift forwards.

After a few minutes or so, though he wouldn't admit it, his body begun to feel numb. With every movement his arms made to keep himself afloat, his muscles began to grow stiff and sore; not long after, it became more strenuous to move them. His legs, strong as they were, tuckered out next, leaving him unable to continue onwards.

Then, suddenly, his fatigue and exhaustion caught up to him in one fell swoop—he felt darkness begin to creep up his peripherals, drowsiness in his mind. A moment later, there was simply nothing to feel, for he had fallen into unconsciousness.

Though he wasn't perfectly astute in the knowledge of energy sensing, even Nail could tell that Kakarot's power level was sinking like a stone. How or why he did not know, but he knew that his adoptive brother was certainly, undeniably, in peril.

* * *

"That fool!" Nail cried out in his mind, immediately summoning his clear aura and blasting off towards the seas of Namek. 'He's going to get himself killed!'

Immediately, he began to dash over the ocean, feeling out with both his mind and his sight in order to pinpoint Kakarot's location. 'There aren't many ripples around here… he must've gone far from his home. The spoiled brat _would _do something like this…'

He quickly swerved to the left, hoping to scout out for the Namek-raised alien from a different perspective – the child's power level was rapidly fading; it was no longer a reliable source for his location – though nothing seemed to be out of the ordinary.

It was then that he noticed a discarded cloak just near the ending of Namek's land and the beginning of its seas, flowing gently in the wind. As soon as his gaze locked on the familiar kanji symbol, there was no mistaking it.

'There.'

Nail immediately plunged into the seas, separating the seas with his mighty aura as he dove in after Kakarot. Immediately, the waters began a mighty roar, screaming in defiance as Nail's superior strength overpowered them.

Then, as quickly as possible, the Namekian warrior grabbed onto the scruff of Kakarot's neck and dashed upwards, allowing the water of Namek to come spiraling down and crash back into the currently dried-up basin.

Staring into the child's unconscious and dilated expression, Nail let out a small growl of frustration. "You could've been killed, do you understand? Do you understand what that would've done to all of us—your friends, the elders, they would be so disappointed in seeing what you've done."

Nail slowly began his flight back towards the villages, thinking of just how to explain this to the elders. There was no doubt they would be quite disappointed, but what mattered was that the foolish child learned from his mistake—the next time, the Namekian might not have been around to save him.

* * *

"Man… I'm starving!" Oolong whined, frowning at Gohan as if he expected him to have the solution to his problem. "Can't we break to eat yet?"

"Well…" began Gohan, though he soon trailed off into his own thoughts. 'He hasn't tried anything suspicious in quite a while… perhaps he's being genuine. But still, can I really trust him with Bulma – who's still back at the capsule house – who can't truly defend herself if her life was on the line?'

His thoughts were soon cut off, however, as a small accumulation of dust began to form in the distance. Along with it, the elderly man could sense an above-average power level, causing him to raise his guard.

"Oolong," he murmured quietly, "you may want to get Bulma and move her away from here. Things may turn violent in just a matter of moments…"

"W-Why?" came the reply of the recently-recruited pig, his head immediately turning to face Gohan—immediately, he noticed the serious expression plastered across his face and recognized that this was the real deal.

Turning back to face the dust cloud, Oolong could see a silhouette in the distance, dashing towards him and his fellow explorers at a rapid speed in what appeared to be some sort of car. Immediately, he felt a chill of fear race down his body, but before he could heed Gohan's warning and try to flee, it was simply too late.

His fighting attire was… different from the average martial artist. Instead of a single type of garment, this warrior's uniform seemed as if it had been created by the combination of vastly different articles of clothing. His top was a green in color, while his pants were a bright orange. To top it all off, he wore navy blue boots and a white belt, not to mention the sword sheathed on his hip. His long, untidy hair flowed down to the back of his neck in the wind, his bangs lifting to show his confident gaze.

Next to him was what appeared to be his accomplice—a cat, it seemed. As Oolong's eyes shifted from the new arrivals, his eyes began to widen as he realized the feline's identity. 'Wait… could that really be who I think it is…?'

"I am Yamcha," the new arrival said with a confident smirk as he sized up his next victims. "I am the master of the land you trespass on."

"It's my land, too!" the cat grinned, hopping away from the man known as Yamcha to stand on its lonesome. However, now that Oolong seemed to have a grasp on the cat's identity he didn't seem all that afraid of the two… the feline never had been quite intimidating to begin with, if his assumption was correct.

"You needn't fear me," continued the long-haired male, raising his arm and extending his hand towards Oolong and company, "just hand over any dinocaps and any money you have on you, and I'll allow you to pass through here in peace."

Though the very imminent threat of the desert bandit was upon them, Oolong couldn't help but continue to study the feline's face. As the moments ticked by, Oolong's brain continued to connect the dots, and at last he remembered who it was.

"You're Puar!" he called out, pointing towards the cat with a look of surprise. "We went to Shapeshifting Academy together, if you remember." A sly grin broke out on the pig's face as Puar, seemingly infuriated, scowled at the pig.

"And I remember you!" fired back the feminine cat, turning to her accomplice. "He was a loudmouth bully who always stole my lunch money every chance he got! He even picked on me because I was smaller than him!"

In response, Yamcha turned his gaze towards Oolong with a slight protective scowl. "Well, well, it seems the tables have turned, my friend. Tell me, how does it feel to face someone bigger than yourself, little piglet?"

Trembling at the sight of Yamcha's predatory look, the pig immediately scurried over to Gohan's side and whispered "Look, Gohan, I know you're strong, but can you really take this guy? He looks strong… really strong!"

'G-Gohan?' Yamcha thought to himself. 'Just where have I heard that name before…?'

"It's just like in the old days!" Puar fired back, seemingly more confident due to Oolong's fear of her partner. "The swine still hides behind someone whenever he's afraid!"

"Ah, I see," laughed the bandit as he crossed his arms, "Not much courage, huh? What a shame… you were so confident before, but now you're nothing more than a quivering little piglet."

"That's right!" continued Puar with a scowl. "There's not an ounce of bravery in that little porker!" In a derogatory fashion, she stuck her tongue out at him, which only served to rile him up further.

"Puar!" Oolong scowled, clenching his fists. "If I ever get my hands on you—"

A gentle, aged hand was laid on his shoulder to calm him down. Turning to face it, Oolong saw Gohan take a step forward, standing protectively in front of him. "That'll be enough." Though his face may have been aged and his physique less than bulky, the tone with which Gohan spoke was able to send a chill down Oolong's spine. Never had he heard the elderly man speak with such seriousness before in their travels, causing him to genuinely experience fear.

"You two seem so confident in bullying Oolong due to your advantage in numbers, but you seem to forget that I'm still here." He crouched into his fighting stance, casting a concentrated look at the scar-faced bandit. "I won't be allowing you to harm someone I consider an innocent person."

"Heh!" Yamcha couldn't help but smirk derogatorily toward the elderly man. "I usually try to respect my elders, but not when they're invading _my _land, old-timer. It's your last chance—either you hand over your belongings right now or I _take _them by force."

Oolong leaned back towards Gohan, holding his hand in front of his mouth so as to block Yamcha out of hearing what he was about to say. "Do you really think you can take him?"

Without returning the eye contact, the elderly man nodded slightly. "Don't worry about me—be sure to keep yourself safe."

"All right, big shot!" Oolong started, pointing towards the bandit—it seemed he had completely disregarded Gohan's warning. "You may think you're looking at an easy win here, but my buddy here will slap you two silly!"

Yamcha took a step forward, slowly drawing out his blade as he chuckled. "Well… I suppose you've left me no choice. Remember your refusal to submit when I beat you into the ground!"

"Wait just a second!" Oolong cried, immediately pivoting on his heel and running as far away as his small legs would allow him to within a five-second interval. "Okay, Gohan, show him who's boss!"

"I don't want to have to fight you," Gohan started, eyeing the metallic sword as it gleamed in the sunlight, "but I will do what is necessary in order to keep myself and my friends from harm."

"I admire your bravery, old man," said Yamcha sincerely as he tossed the scabbard back towards Puar's feet, "but even wise men can be complete fools at times."

No less than a moment later, the battle begun. With a mighty battle cry, the bandit dashed forward and attempted to go for the instant kill, driving his sword directly for Gohan's heart. However, having anticipated the movement, the elderly man quickly ducked, extending his leg out to trip his foe—he landed on the ground with a mighty THUD.

However, Yamcha didn't miss a beat, pushing his torso off the ground and adjusting his grip on the sword. A moment later, he aimed for a stab to the leg. Gohan was forced to quickly jump –the blade just narrowly missing him – and perform a quick backflip, creating distance between him and his opponent once again.

"We don't have to fight, you know." Gohan showed no sense of deception in his tone, hoping that he could end this battle without any bloodshed. "Surely you must understand that I don't wish to cause you any harm. Please, end this before one of us gets severely hurt."

Quickly, Yamcha jumped back to his feet and refused to acknowledge Gohan's plea, instead opting to go back on the attack. He aimed for the neck this time with a horizontal slash, though Gohan easily countered by blocking the blade with his elbow and firing off a quick jab to the scar-faced bandit's exposed ribcage, sending him flying back into the dirt with another howl of pain. Sitting upward, the bandit clutched his stomach in pain, cursing under his breath.

This time it was Gohan who continued the fight, racing forward and connecting with a firm kick to the jaw that snapped the scar-faced bandit's chin backward and sent him smashing into the dust yet again.

"D-Damn it…" Yamcha hissed, trembling as he felt the searing pain shoot through his skull, disorienting him. He could only barely make out the blur that was his opponent standing over him, most likely preparing to end their fight. There was nothing he could do, nothing he could say… he had lost, fair and square, and he simply had to accept what was coming next.

Out of the corner of his eye, he could see his sword shining on the ground far away; he knew he couldn't retrieve it in time for it to make any difference in the outcome of the battle. It was over, and he knew it. All he could do was wait for the inevitable to happen…

…but, to his shock, it never came. All that was given to him was an aged, wrinkled hand, which was accompanied by a neutral gaze.

"I did say that I didn't want this to end in any bloodshed, didn't I?" came the stern reply of the aged man, grunting as he struggled to help Yamcha to his feet. As he did so, he could tell that he'd wounded him too much—he wouldn't be able to stand on his own.

"Excuse me… Puar, was it?" he called over to the feline, that tone of disappointment long gone. "Please help me in keeping your friend stable; I fear he can't maintain balance on his own any longer."

"Y-Yes, sir!" Puar replied, having a newfound respect for the man that spared her best friend. 'I-I thought he was a goner… had it not been for this man's kindness, Yamcha would've been killed…' she thought as she made her way over to the battlefield, helping Gohan in leaning the scar-faced bandit against his vehicle.

"You are strong—that much is certain. But there are always those who are stronger out there, and without being prepared to end things peacefully, it could very well cost you your life." Gohan turned to Oolong, nodding at him as if to say that the coast was clear. "Please get Bulma; we'll be leaving soon."

As the bandit watched Oolong scamper off, he couldn't shake off that recurring thought about his opponent's name—the similarities were just far too great to ignore. "W-Wait…" he murmured softly, as if almost to himself. "Befor-Before you go… I need to know… are you S-Son Gohan, master of martial arts?"

A small, respectful smile formed on the face of the elderly man as he heard his name being spoken in such a high honor. "It seems my reputation precedes me. Yes, indeed, I am Son Gohan… but I wouldn't say that I'm a 'master' of martial arts. Experienced, yes, but there's much more that I can learn."

"That explains it…" chuckled the scar-faced bandit to himself before he let out a small hiss of pain. "You were always said to have spared anyone in a life-or-death situation and to have ended those fights in the quickest way possible…"

"Really, all your praise is flattering, but not necessary. All that matters to me is that you understand now—don't blindly charge into battle, and don't _start _a battle unless it's absolutely necessary to do so." Gohan gave a nod toward the bandit before he turned his back, beginning to walk away. "Please, do take care of yourselves."

"W-What?" gasped Yamcha, absolutely shell-shocked that Gohan was about to let him off the hook so easily. "I-Is that it? You'll let me go without having to return everything I stole?"

"It appears you've already learned a lesson, and that lesson will do more for you in life than forcing you to return what you need to survive. However… perhaps there is something you can do, if you truly wish to…"

"Y-Yes?" Yamcha asked, now somewhat interested. He couldn't help but admit that the prospect of potentially learning from one of the all-time greats in martial arts history was exciting to him.

"My friends and I are traveling the world in search of these mystical spheres known as Dragon Balls," he started. "If all seven are collected, one can make any wish they desire and it will come true with no hesitation at all. As you can tell, I am the only true capable fighter in our little group… we could always use some extra help." Gohan turned back around to face Yamcha, eagerly awaiting his answer.

"…I'll tell you what, Son," Yamcha replied, trying to act as if he had some control in the situation—he wasn't used to power being out of his hands. "I'll travel with you and your friends and help you collect the Dragon Balls, if – and only if – you teach me in the ways of martial arts."

A warm smile forced itself across the elderly man's face as he walked back over to the duo. "As long as you vow to use that strength only when necessary, you have yourself a deal, young man." He extended his hand to him, and without hesitation Yamcha grasped it and shook it.

"Now, then, let's get going. Puar, would you mind taking that capsule for later?" asked the elderly man as he wrapped one of the bandit's arms around his shoulder, being careful not to aggravate any of the bandit's injuries as they began their slow walk back to camp.

"Sure!" came the cheerful reply of the feline, doing as she was asked before helping to support Yamcha on his – slow but steady – path, grabbing his sword as she passed it.

'Perhaps he wasn't a true criminal at heart…' Gohan thought to himself as the three walked in the heat of the desert sun, the shining light casting its shadow on the now-allies as they made their way across the Diablo Desert. '…All he needed was a new chance to show his true colors.'

* * *

"Remember, Elder Moori, that you can't let him control you. He's acted out, and it's very clear that he needs discipline—he listens to us, but he'll never let you control him if you continue to treat him as you do."

"I understand, Elder Tsuno. And once again… thank you for everything."

* * *

As his consciousness began to revive itself and regain its grasp on reality, Kakarot immediately tried to scope out his surroundings. Oddly enough, it looked like he'd been magically transported back into his quarters somehow—the desk in the far left corner of the room, the view of the wastelands next to his bedside table, it was all unmistakable to him.

It didn't make sense at all. The last thing he remembered was swimming in the ocean, when all of a sudden he began to feel sleepy. The next thing he knew, he'd woken up here without any explanation. Just what had happened?

"Kakarot… I must say that I am very disappointed in you, my child."

His attention was immediately broken away from his thoughts and centered towards Elder Moori, who began to approach his bedside with a frown across his aged features. "You were told to sleep, were you not?"

"Elder Moori…" Kakarot began, though Moori swiftly cut him off by lifting his index finger, absolutely stunning him—the elder had never given him such a cold shoulder before in his twelve years of life.

"Answer the question, child. It is not a trick question."

"Y-Yes… I was told to go to sleep after Elder Tsuno and I finished studying," Kakarot murmured, bowing his head in shame. "But it's just not fair, Elder Moori! Everyone gets to play all the time while I have to just sleep! Do you and the other Elders hate me or something?!" he asked, feeling a tear roll down his cheek.

It pained Moori to see Kakarot in such a state of unhappiness; truly, it did. But he knew that this time, his child was wrong – there was no excuse for his actions. "We love you more than you will ever understand, Kakarot. But we also know what's best for you, and sometimes that takes precedence over giving you what you desire. None of us have any qualms with you having fun with your friends every now and then, but you must understand that what we say comes first in importance. That means studying when we tell you to, eating when we tell you to, and most importantly, _sleeping _when we tell you to."

"F-Fine…" sighed Kakarot, coming to terms with reality – he simply _had _to do what he was told; it was simply expected of him. "Can I please just stay up a little later, though? I want to be able to play with my friends _and _study; I barely get to see them on study days."

Moori sighed softly as he tried to figure out how to answer his question. "Kakarot… why do we fall?"

"Wh-Wha?" Kakarot stuttered, unable to comprehend the meaning behind his elder's words. "I-I don't understand what you're trying to say…"

"It's so we can get back up and learn _why _we fell in the first place, my child. You wanted to experience the best of both worlds—while in this case your goals were pure, it's simply impossible to do so. Something must give, and in this case, your time with your friends must be sacrificed for your studies. In the future, that may change, but for now this is how it must be. Do you understand, Kakarot?"

"Yes, Elder Moori. I'm… sorry. I just feel like I never get to see my friends anymore and that it's all about studying and growing up to be a good 'Son of Namek.'" He sighed, running his hand through his head of spiky hair. "I want to be that, but I also want to able to spend time with the other Namekians outside of that. I want to work in the fields on occasion. I want to be able to… live the lives that they do."

"I'm sorry to say that it's not entirely possible for you to do that, Kakarot. Though you are undeniably a true Namekian in heart, the powers that be birthed you differently from the rest of us." He wasn't ready to know the truth quite yet—the time would come, but it just simply wasn't today. "But if that is truly all you wish, then I will do my best to accommodate that." He paused for a moment, mulling over his thoughts. "But this is a two way street, understood? For everything I do to fulfill your dream, you must do what I ask of you."

"Yes, Elder Moori. I'll do my best to make you and the others proud!" Kakarot immediately dove into the elder's arms, embracing him as a child would a parent. Slowly, Moori returned the embrace, smiling to himself.

'Little do you know, Kakarot, you've already brought us more pride than you could ever imagine.'

* * *

_And that's a wrap! Thanks for reading this chapter of _Turbulence_, and sorry for the wait and lack of notification on my profile about the chapter's progress – it's been a hectic few weeks, but I was able to get this done tonight for your reading pleasure._

_On that note, sorry if this chapter appears to be reuploaded every few days - seemingly every time I replace the content in the chapter, it does that. _

_Now, I've an announcement to make about _Turbulence_'s progress. Basically, as you can tell if you're a consistent reader of mine, having a 7K chapter is pretty darn rare, but in the case of this chapter it was necessary. I needed to build upon the key divergences in this universe in order for Chapter 3 to make sense; otherwise, I would be hurling blocks of information at you from all directions. At the same time, however, I don't want to have 7-8 chapters or so of exposition – more likely than not, you're here to read the DBZ portion of events, right? That's why I did what I did. However, this story is _extremely _fun to write, so I might just be getting to these chapter sizes again quite soon!_

_I also want to thank you all _profusely _for all your feedback and support. I never expected to get the reception I did with this fanfic, but it's kept me extremely excited and motivated to keep writing this fic. Here's hoping that you all join me as I do so!_

_Also, due to writing longer chapters, I have a bit of space at the end of chapters – I'm going to start incorporating Q&A sections again, only because I feel like nobody really wants to have to go all the way to a Q&A forum just to hear a response to a question, haha. Unlike my previous style, I'm going to inherit a different style of questions and answers - if I did it in italics, you might be confused by where the A/N ends and that begins. I know some people don't like Q&A's in chapters, but I feel like it's necessary in order to cover more information you might've missed._

_Lastly, I'm almost certain that you might be raising an eyebrow about Gohan's power and how that'll affect the story. We all know that he's much stronger than nearly any threat to come, but things will change very soon, I can promise that. The timeline makes more twists and turns with every chapter; this next one will be no different!_

_Expect the next update to come fairly soon!_

**-Galick Gun 419: ****I hope that the Saiyans don't really have big parts in this one, hopefully I'm right because your character list doesn't have Raditz/Nappa/Vegeta and you even say you don't want to write about pride in this fic**

We'll see about the other Saiyans, but I'll simply say that DBZ isn't DBZ without a few Saiyans. Kakarot will, of course, be one of them, but the humans will do just what I promised they would – have relevant and prominent roles in the story.

**-Fernandtoussiant: You've definitely got my interest. Im a big fan of your other two stories.**

**Out of curiosity, since Kakarot will be raised by Namekians does this mean he'll have a different skill set. Essentially all the powers that seem to be unique to Piccolo and the Kais in canon, e.g. magic materilisation?**

Kakarot will have similarities and differences from his canonical counterpart, but I will say that he will be proficient in Namekian abilities and their fighting style. That's not to say that he won't develop his own along the way, however.

-**Supersaiyaninfinitygohan: This is most certainly an interesting idea, having Goku land on Namek. I'm interested as to how exactly this will affect the universe as a whole, particularly as they no longer have anyone to protect them from the likes of Pilaf and King Piccolo.**

This chapter should provide some hints as to who will be taking up the mantle of protectors, but the next chapter really gets into the meat of the events on Earth. And your compliments are much appreciated; I'm going to do my best to make this a unique story from any other "Kakarot" story out there.

**- Multiple readers: Concern about Kakarot possibly getting with Bulma**

I recognize that many people don't want Kakarot getting with Bulma as it happens in quite the number of these types of fics. However, I can and will assure you that if I am to have Kakarot and Bulma get together, it will be done in an organic, logical manner. I am well aware of her mannerisms in canon and will try to make her and whomever her suitor is(whether it be Yamcha, Vegeta, Kakarot or another) fit just as well as she and Vegeta did in canon. Every romantic pairing I've selected for this story(and yes, they are indeed set into stone) will be given enough time and enough characterization to be made believable - I'll settle for no less.


	3. Chapter III: Clash of Beliefs

_Hi, Super Vegetarott here. I figured I'd get some quick words out of the way before you read this chapter._

_First off, I recognize that this is an absolute gargantuan chapter by my standards, and under normal circumstances I would've split this up into two chapters. However, as you'll see later on, this chapter is literally composed of only _two scenes/events. _I couldn't find a proper spot to cut this off at as a result, as any traction or momentum I have with this chapter would most certainly be lost without publishing this as one whole chapter. I hope you can understand where I'm coming from as the author of this story, and I assure you that chapters won't be as absurdly long(though I will still be aiming for meaty, action-packed chapter lengths) as others. I suppose this is a great thing, though, as it shows how motivated I am to get this story going; I hope I have your support and readership as we both experience the story of _Turbulence!

_Without further ado, please enjoy the third installment of _Turbulence!

* * *

**Tournament Saga – Part 1: Clash of Beliefs**

_Age 753_

Not the slightest sound could be heard in the reticent wastelands of Namek as he meditated silently, isolating his mind from the rest of the world around him. He could no longer hear the gentle waters as they flowed through the rivers, nor could he feel the winds nipping at his shoulders. His eyes then shut, leading him away from his home and into a world where he himself was alone.

'There aren't many Namekians left since the great cataclysm…' mused the warrior as he did his best to drown out all excess thoughts. '…but Grand Elder Guru will only choose _one _bodyguard come a few days' time.'

He did not wish to gain fame among his people by becoming Elder Guru's protector, nor did he wish to crave power for . All he wanted was simple... the knowledge that he had _accomplished _something with his life. He was not one of Kakarot's educators or his teachers, nor was he skilled in the fields… but he knew that the one thing he could do was serve the Grand Elder as his bodyguard. Despite not being as dexterous and intelligent as some of his peers, he more than made up for those faults with his awe-inspiring strength.

Ever since he'd been a young child he'd been enthralled with the idea of serving his people as a warrior, but something of this magnitude was simply an once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

As such, he refused to allow himself to get rusty so close to the Elder's selection date, which was why he had constantly been throwing himself into meditation and fierce training sessions—he did it all just to ensure he would become _the one. _

'The Grand Elder grows older and older with each passing day,' thought Nail to himself as he assumed a lotus position, slowly lifting himself off the ground as he allowed his thoughts to continue. 'It's fair to assume that the day will come when invaders come and try to finish what the great drought started. If that happens, then the Grand Elder will need a suitable fighter to whom he can pass his knowledge to.'

At that precise moment, the surfacing of his emotion caused Nail to almost lose his concentration, though at the very last moment he was able to refocus and still himself, calming his mind once again. 'And that fighter _will _be _me.'_

Little did he know, he was being observed from afar by a rather sprightly child – or rather, near adolescent – who had about an hour or so for recreation before he had to sleep. Flanking him were his two best friends, Linas and Radula, while Lug and Cochela brought up the rear. Over the years, they had grown to be somewhat tall, easily exceeding Kakarot's height by quite a margin. When asked why he hadn't grown, Elder Moori had simply explained to the boy that his 'time' hadn't come quite yet, and that he would grow to be tall as him and his friends someday. Regardless, this hadn't cut ties with Kakarot and his friends – if anything, they had become even closer of a unit since they had begun taking the same tutoring sessions together.

During their break, they'd taken the time to congregate around the wasteland, observing his still form from afar. All of them were extremely impressed by Nail's immense concentration.

"W-What do you think he's doing?" asked Cochela, scratching the top of his head in confusion. "It looks like he's just sitting there or something… not exactly the most productive thing to do."

"Wait, maybe he's actually sleeping," thought Kakarot aloud. 'I thought I was the only Namekian that actually needed to get sleep for every twelve hours that went by. I guess Nail's had to sleep all this time too…'

"You're not thinking clearly," interjected Lug, holding his head up high as if he were an elder teaching a class of students, "Nail's not sleeping, you guys… he's actually doing something completely different. It's called meditating. Apparently, meditating is another way of calming your mind while still steadily gaining power."

"Really?" pondered Linas, not taking his eyes off of Nail's still form for even the slightest moment. "I didn't know Nail was so powerful… he just might have a chance at being the elder's bodyguard."

"You must be joking, right?" came the reply of Radula, who seemed to be surprised by Linas' word choice. "_Might?_ There's no question about it whatsoever. Nail is one of – if not _the _strongest – warriors on Namek. There's no way he doesn't make it into the final two for consideration."

"Really?" thought over Kakarot, his gaze locked onto the meditating Namekian. 'He must be really strong if he's training out here all on his lonesome…'

"Yes, Kakarot. If I had to place my bets on the most powerful Namekian warrior, it would be Nail without a doubt," assured Lug with a nod of his head.

"Maybe…" mumbled Linas, still unsure of Nail's potential. As far as he knew Nail personally, he'd never once shown a true passion for training and fighting – was this a secret kept from the elders? "Maybe we should go talk to him. I might actually want to learn how to meditate—maybe it'll impress him and have him teach me."

"Again, are you serious?" retorted Lug, almost feeling the need to shake his friend and welcome him back into reality. "Nail isn't exactly… a very friendly person who would just train anyone. Though he definitely cares about us as Namekians, I don't think he could care less about us as his actual brothers."

"You don't know that," immediately responded Cochela, getting in Lug's face in order to defend his friend, "maybe he's just misunderstood. You're never exactly anyone's advocate until they're nice to _you_, Lug. Why not allow Radula a chance to see what happens?"

"If it makes you feel any better, I'll come along too!" exclaimed Kakarot with a feverish grin. He'd always had a side interest in martial arts, but he could never find anyone who claimed to have proper training. If Nail was really as strong as his friends claimed, then perhaps there was a chance to become his disciple. "I wouldn't mind knowing a few moves!"

"Wait, Kakarot!" responded Lug as the child began walking towards Nail's current location. "Where do you think you're going?"

Innocently, Kakarot looked back over his shoulder and shrugged nonchalantly. "Didn't I say so before? I'm going to go see if Nail wouldn't mind training me."

And with that, the always vivacious Kakarot seemingly scurried off towards the still Namekian, leaving his friends to gape and gasp in the dust his moccasins had left behind. He was always so energetic in everything he did, sometimes making it impossible for his friends to keep up with him. This was just another one of those cases, it seemed…

Everything was perfectly calm and serene. His body, spirit, and mind had been perfectly aligned, allowing him to access his energy reserves like never before. He could already feel his strength increasing, every small drop of power boosting the Namekian's strength steadily—

"Hi!" came the outcry of a high-pitched voice, snapping Nail's concentration in two; as a result, he fell to the ground from his lotus position.

"If you didn't know who I was, my name is Kakarot," continued on that sprightly voice, offering a hand towards the much larger Namekian on the ground. He waited for what seemed to be like hours, but Nail didn't take it, instead choosing to stand up on his own power and dust himself off.

"I'm well aware of who you are, Kakarot—what I want to know is why you're here. Don't you have to be studying with the Elders or something right now?" Nail turned away from him, refusing to make eye contact with the young child. He thought maybe the young boy would take the hint that he didn't wish to be disturbed right now.

However, young Kakarot didn't seem to take the hint—apparently, even the scowl Nail wore across his face didn't even seem to point the child in the right direction. "I finished with my lessons a few hours ago," chattered on the boy, a perpetual smile seeming to adorn his expression. "My friends and I have some free time before they go to work in the fields and I go to sleep…"

'Good,' internally approved Nail as he listened to the boy's long-winded speech, 'It seems Elder Moori somehow found a way to discipline him… I don't know how, but thankfully he was able to persuade the boy into getting proper rest. If this is true, I no longer need to worry about Kakarot roaming off without supervision and getting himself killed.' His chest suddenly felt lighter, as if a gargantuan weight had been taken off of it.

"…so after we did that, we found you all alone out here and wanted to know what you were doing. Lug said you were doing some sort of meditation or something, but I wanted to know from you yourself!" finished Kakarot dramatically, his obsidian eyes looking upwards at the tall, lanky Namekian figure.

Nail sighed in relief that the boy didn't appear to be doing anything reckless—ever since that near-fatal accident had occurred, he'd always held the slight fear that Kakarot would be foolish enough to fall prey to another life-risking incident. Though he knew that the alien child knew right from wrong, Nail was simply concerned that the boy's eagerness to prove himself and headstrong nature would land him in another predicament.

"He's right; I'm currently meditating in order to increase my power. Come the day of Guru's selection of his bodyguard, I want to be both physically and mentally prepared—he'll only choose the strongest and most durable warrior to be his guardian. As such," he paused to crack his neck and flex his arms ever so slightly, "I need to be in the best shape possible if I'm to achieve such a high honor."

"So if you're picked by Guru-"

"_Elder _Guru," harshly interjected Nail, intent on ensuring that Kakarot showed the Grand Elder his proper respect. "Remember, he's earned the right to be referred to as the Grand Elder—he deserves nothing less than to be treated with only the utmost honor and respect."

"Right, sorry. So if you're picked by the 'Grand Elder'Guru…" Kakarot affirmed with a nod, still seeming to grin happily despite the firm scowl entrenched across the older Namekian's features. "…that means you're the most capable warrior on Namek if a threat were to show up?"

"Basically, yes, I would be. In addition, I would get to spend my days with the wisest, most spiritually enlightened Namekian in all of history. " Nail took a moment to let that fact sink in—in just a few days' time, he could very well be named the most powerful and the most capable of taking up the mantle of Elder Guru's bodyguard…

…but then reality set back in for him and he realized the truth: fate wasn't set in stone just yet. He had to keep training and building up his strength; he couldn't waste a single moment in his preparation… if he did, there was simply no telling what could possibly happen. He couldn't let his resolution falter, not even for a moment.

"And that's why I need to _be _that bodyguard, Kakarot. I need to be able to prove myself, both in the eyes of the elders and in my own. As such, it is essential for me to continue my training and prove why I am the best candidate for the role. If you don't mind, I must ask you to leave so that I can continue doing so." Nail turned his back on the child, walking towards the riverbank before once again assuming his lotus position, attempting to achieve inner tranquility once again.

But unfortunately for Nail, Kakarot was nothing if not persistent. He trotted over to the Namekian's still figure, trying to observe every remote detail about his positioning so that he, too, could attempt to mimic it.

"You do realize I can literally _feel _your presence right next to me, correct?" lowly mumbled Nail, refusing to slip out of his meditative state once again. "As I said before, Kakarot, this conversation is over. We have nothing more to discuss; therefore, I must ask to you to please leave."

"But I don't want to, Nail! I want to stay and train with you!" Instead of heeding his fellow Namekian's advice, Kakarot kicked off his moccasins and took a seat next to him, dipping his small, childlike feet into the water as he did so. To Nail's chagrin, it appeared as if the boy was determined to spend his remaining waking hour with him and that nothing would change his resolve.

"Fine, Kakarot... if it means so much to you, I will allow you to stay. As recompense, though, I want you to remain quiet and not make a sound. As I've said countless times before, I cannot afford to slack on my training, especially so close to the selection date."

Nail took the silence that followed to be a sign of Kakarot's obedience, which he couldn't help but smile at. "Thank you, Kakarot. That was all I asked for. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to attempt to return to my training." Closing his eyes, he did just that, a small, alabaster-colored aura shimmering around his figure as he returned into his training.

As the two sat in silence, the winds gently billowed around them in a serene, peaceful manner. The waters of Namek continued to flow gently, the occasional blue-colored fish leaping out of the aquatic scenery in an impressive display of acrobatics. One could go as far as to call the scene absolutely perfect.

This tranquility wouldn't last very long, however. Kakarot soon grew malcontent with his surroundings, eager to move around and expend all the built-up energy within him, but he knew Nail wouldn't appreciate it. He then tried to glide his feet in the water, splashing them gently and causing small ripples in the water for a few moments, but then the child grew tired of that just as quickly.

Finally, it became too much. Kakarot simply couldn't stand to sit around and waste his precious hour before bed; it was time to stop beating around the bush and get down to his purpose of approaching Nail.

"Hey, Nail," Kakarot started, turning to the elder Namekian and nudging him lightly so as not to repeat his mistake from before. When he didn't respond to the child's call, Kakarot tried it again, this time slightly more forceful in his approach—still, however, Nail remained perfectly calm and motionless.

"NAIL!" he repeated with fury in his tone, standing up fully and shoving the Namekian down to the ground. Immediately, the elder warrior was broken out of his stupor and gasped as he returned into the realm of reality, looking upwards and seeing the angered child loom over him.

"What was that for, Kakarot?!" Nail shouted back, unable to believe that the small child had the gall to attack him. 'He's been raised so well… he's never truly raised his hand towards someone with malice. What's gotten into this boy?'

"That's for you not listening to me!" snarled Kakarot angrily, a fire blazing in his eyes as he glared at his fellow Namekian. "All I want to do is ask for you to train me, and all you do is ignore me! Elder Moori's always said to listen to people when they're talking!"

Dusting himself off, Nail pushed himself off the ground with his left arm and used his right arm to adjust himself into a sitting position before he scowled at the child, unable to believe the boy's logic. "I specifically recall asking you to not perturb me, Kakarot. I mean it when I say that every second counts; I don't have any spare time to waste."

"You just care about yourself, don't you?" fired back Kakarot, each word rolling from his tongue sounding more and more uncharacteristic of the boy who had been raised as a son of Namek, "you don't care about teaching me to fight and become powerful!"

Suddenly, Nail gasped in shock, his eyes widening as he heard that last word. "P-Powerful…" he muttered, his mind flashing back to a memory so many years ago… 'N-No… not like… _him… _if he trains, he could become like… _that demon..._'

* * *

"_Wait, Elder Moori…" interjected Nail as he saw the elder smile down at the infant invader, seemingly holding no pretense against it whatsoever. "...You're not seriously considering allowing this… _thing… _to reside here on Namek, are you?" Something didn't seem to add up to the boy; surely there was some sort of trap with this child. It wasn't every day that an invader came along to a remote planet such as Namek, especially not a prone, weak newborn child. _

_The harsh remark caused Moori to subconsciously grip the boy tighter, almost as if he were actually afraid of losing him to the boy's words. "Clearly, Nail, this boy was destined to lead a life of sin and evil. I refuse to allow him to walk down that path when there's something we can do to change it."_

"_Actually, Moori," came the quick interjection of Elder Tsuno, "we don't know if it'd even be _possible _for us to get through to the boy. That message seems to be continuously drilling information into his brain, which means it could very well be too late to teach him right from wrong. If he somehow gains the capabilities of doing so, he could very well exterminate our entire race!"_

"_Then we'll have to raise him so that doesn't happen, my fellow elder." Moori stared into the infant's onyx eyes, seeing the untapped potential of evil within those black orbs… but there was still hope to save his soul. He knew that benevolence and righteousness were hiding behind those malicious emotions, and it was then he recognized more than ever that he simply couldn't let the child succumb to such a fate. _

"_I recognize that you could never turn away someone in need, Elder Moori," began Nail in his usual humble tone, attempting to gently point out the flaws in his blind plan, "but just listen to the message in full. It's discussing how to _kill, destroy, and exterminate… _I just don't think we should have a possible murderer on our planet when we can help it."_

_A long silence ensued after Nail's remark, all three Namekians contemplating the repercussions of the child actually being raised as one of their own. As fate would have it, in that exact moment, the prerecorded message began to repeat its contents once again._

"_We wait," simply said Moori, struggling not to let his personal opinion affect the overall decision, "we wait and see just what the masterminds behind Kakarot's arrival had in store for him."_

_All were silent as their highly-attuned ears listened to the message that _– _if successfully embedded within the infant's frail, weak mind _– _would create a monster._

"_Kakarot, you are one of the warrior race classified as the Saiyans, loyal warriors and soldiers to none other than the mighty, illustrious Lord Frieza. This is to be the first of many missions that you will embark on in his service. You will be tasked with the extermination of Planet Earth's population and all its settlements. The business Lord Frieza runs is known as the Planet Trade Organization, and as an employee of his, you must ensure that Earth is completely cleansed of both its populace and its civilizations in order to make the planet a proper sell to another race in need of a suitable home."_

'_T-Those monsters… they're just slaughtering for 'business?' This Frieza character… and by the sound of the word 'organization,' he's not alone in his tyranny. What other threats lurk among the stars?' thought Moori to himself, realizing that there were indeed evils in the universe that were oppressing others and that there was simply nothing they could do to stop them._

_Next to him, Nail recoiled visibly from the horrid, twisted message this child was being forced to receive. He'd imagined that the boy would be forced to partake in murder and destruction, but to know that innocent lives were being prematurely ended just for the sake of a thriving business absolutely sickened him to his very core. '...One day, if they ever invade Namek, that'll truly be it for all of us. There won't be any hope of repopulating if we're all exterminated and vaporized into absolute nothingness. And if this demonic business keeps growing and expanding, that means that we'll eventually be conquered and destroyed...'_

"_I think I've reconsidered my decision," quietly admitted Tsuno, absolutely mortified that that such people existed in what he believed to be a tranquil, serene universe. "If there's just _one _soul we can save from this horrific fate, we _must _take it. This child doesn't deserve to be put through hell like this. I believe he should stay with us and learn right from wrong, Elder."_

"_As do I," the youngling Nail commented, determined to train to his limits and eventually put an end to the monstrosity known as the Planet Trade Organization. "If we turn this boy away and send him back into the cold, dark chasms of space, we're no better than they are."_

"_Excellent," replied Moori, a smile plastered across his face now that the boy was safe from harm. "I suggest we take him back to the villages and hold a meeting; we can inform everyone of his origins then and there. After that, I will go consult the Grand Elder on what to do… the legends say he is not to be disturbed unless there is a grand issue, but this is a dire situation worthy of his insight.'_

_The trio, with Moori still keeping a firm hold on the child, began to make their way back to the villages and begin baby Kakarot's new life as a son of Namek…_

_...Then, suddenly, the message seemed to continue, immediately halting the trio in their tracks._

"_Now that you've had a few moments for your brain to absorb that information, it's time you were informed of Lord Frieza himself. His men have perfect reputations until the day they perish… he refuses to tolerate any sort of failure. As such, Kakarot, you are given two choices when it comes to being employed by Lord Frieza: grow powerful and join us, or become weak and die. "_

'_He so callously slaughters his _own _men as well? He's no monster… he's the devil himself!' thought Moori as a chill ran down his spine. 'I've never asked for much in my life… but please… keep this demon away from us...'_

_Nail's eyes narrowed at the spacepod, and in one single kiai, he immediately blasted the speakers inside the pod to ultimate oblivion. 'No child should ever be subject to this kind of manipulation and torture… I don't care how powerful I have to become, but I will play _some _hand in that demon's demise!'_

* * *

Though 16 long years had passed since he'd heard that terrifying message, Nail still remembered each and every word of it vividly, almost as a reminder to himself that he couldn't allow Kakarot to become the monster he was once destined to be. "I apologize, Kakarot, but I cannot train you."

"What?!" exclaimed Kakarot, shell-shocked that Nail had turned his request down.

"W-Why?! What did I do to you?!" It didn't make sense; he certainly didn't recall acting out recently. He'd made sure to complete his studies and listen to his superiors' orders, yet Nail still refused to grant him what he wanted.

Closing his eyes, Nail took a deep breath and sighed to himself. 'It's not what you've _done, _Kakarot… it's what you're _capable _of doing with that power that we all fear...'

Not receiving any sort of response, Kakarot prodded on, refusing to leave without getting some sort of answer out of his Namekian brother. If other Namekians had the right to train, then why didn't he? Was there something wrong with him?

"**Answer me!" **he snarled, clenching his fists subconsciously to prevent himself from hitting Nail. The urge existed within him to reach out and crash his bare knuckles against the Namekian's stoic, if only slightly exasperated, features, but something within him held that primal sensation back.

A bead of sweat ran down Nail's face as he pondered whether what he was about to do was right or not. Everything the elders had worked for regarding Kakarot's inner peace and mentality would boil down to this very moment. He had the power to either firmly place the boy on the path towards ultimate benevolence or lose him to the demon within forever.

'If he knows… if he's told the _truth… _then perhaps he'll be be more aware of his decision-making and that inner drive within him,' thought Nail to himself, his eyes unwilling to break contact with the troubled boy for even an instant. Though he knew he could subdue the boy with little effort, he wanted to avoid any and all possible violence if possible—Kakarot couldn't think that violence was the norm.

"...It is time, Kakarot." Nail opened his eyes and stared down at the boy with what appeared to be a crestfallen expression. 'Regardless of what the elders think of me...regardless of whether I am no longer considered worthy to be Grand Elder Guru's bodyguard… this boy deserves nothing less than the truth.'

Though rage still burned within his very persona, the boy could easily tell that Nail seemed to be conflicted about something. "What?" he coldly hissed, the shackles of his Saiyan hormones still very clearly grasping him and controlling nearly his every movement.

The Namekian took one step forward towards the boy; immediately, Kakarot leapt back and crouched into what appeared to be a sloppy and inexperienced fighting stance—there was no doubt he was trying to mimic the stances taken by the warrior clan. However, his sheer lack of knowledge when it came to martial arts would hinder him, as Nail could identify at least three weak spots he could capitalize on.

But Nail wasn't worried about his physical endurance at the moment—he was more concerned with whether or not Kakarot would be able to handle this information or not.

'It's best that he knows,' repeated Nail to himself continuously, as if afraid he would cower down from the task at hand. 'Elder Moori should really be the one having this talk with him, but… I suppose it falls on me to relay the news.'

He suddenly stopped in front of the boy, placing both arms behind his back as if to show he had no intention of striking. "Kakarot… while the Elders certainly care for you and want the best for you, there has been a very specific piece of information that they have refrained from telling you. Most likely they thought ignorance would be bliss in regards to your upbringing, but your behavior now has entirely convinced me that you need to understand what you _were _to become before your life here."

Immediately upon speaking, Nail could see a change in the spiky-haired boy's expression—his eyes no longer appeared to be glassy and glazed over, having regained their youthful brightness and vibrant, shining spark.

"W-What do you mean, 'before your life here?'" As far as he knew, he had always been raised alongside his Namekian brothers… was Nail suggesting that wasn't the case? Did he truly have another home somewhere among the stars?

Cracking a small smile upon seeing the boy regain control of his senses, Nail continued onwards with his tale. "You were not originally a Namekian-born child, Kakarot; you were – and still are – of a race known as the Saiyans. As a whole, the Saiyan race is extremely notable for possessing unbelievable power and having extremely barbaric personalities. Their bloodlust knows no bounds, and they will stop at nothing to find a good fight or challenge for themselves."

Immediately, Kakarot felt a wave of horror course through his veins—he was responsible for just the same thing. 'So… when I asked for Nail to train me in the ways of martial arts… was I doing it to become a warrior alongside some of my friends? Was it really because of my Saiyan blood?'

"You were supposed to be one of them, Kakarot," admitted Nail solemnly, closing his eyes as he truly realized there was simply no turning back any longer, "you were supposed to be a brutal, blood-crazed soldier who slaughtered for the thrill—"

"N-No," boldly interrupted Kakarot, cutting off the Namekian before him. "I-I… wouldn't be. Not after everything you and the other Elders have taught me. I refuse to fall down to such levels of sin and evil."

He didn't know what came over him in that moment, but Nail suddenly couldn't stop a large smile from growing on his face. 'So… perhaps this is what the Elders feel like whenever they get a message through to him…' The sensation of knowing the boy had learned from him and seemingly became a better person for it… it was truly indescribable, but it was a feeling Nail knew he wouldn't soon forget.

"Tell me more about them, Nail," asked the boy with seriousness all throughout his tone. While he had enjoyed learning lessons from Elder Tsuno, this was something he felt he needed to know—not for a test, but for his own knowledge. Even if he was to never be a true Saiyan at heart, he at least needed to know more about his people… maybe, just maybe, there were more like him out in the galaxy who wished to stand for purity instead of debauchery.

"For starters, they're no longer under their own free will. They are employed by a nefarious tyrant named Frieza, being forced to conquer and exterminate planets for a living. But I'm sure they don't mind in the slightest… as I've said, they'll be content so long as they get to slaughter anything in sight. They're nothing more than barbarian, one-track minded creatures who wish to destroy rather than create."

"So then why did Elder Moori and the others allow me to stay here? Surely they knew what kind of threat I could've been had things not gone right." Now that he was aware of his latent powers, it almost frightened him—with the right training, he could very well become powerful enough to end the entire Namekian race.

"Heh… to be honest, Elder Moori is the one you should be thanking for that one," chuckled Nail as he recalled that day so long ago. "He figured that if he could take away one potential mass-murderer and transform him into a man of kindness and benevolence, he'd play some small hand in stopping the universe from Frieza's conquest."

Upon hearing the name of the tyrant, Kakarot's eyes hardened and his fists clenched. "He has to pay, somehow… I don't know how it'll happen, but he needs to die."

"I've vowed the same thing myself once upon a time, kid," offered Nail as he placed a hand on the child's shoulder. "And if you truly feel the same way I do about that monster, then you'll have my full cooperation in taking him down. From this day forth, you are my pupil, and I am your master."

Kakarot's eyes nearly bulged out of his sockets—even after his most recent hormonal outburst, Nail was still offering to train him?! "B-But… what happens if I grow too strong, Nail? What if I eventually lose control of myself and kill everyone?"

"I have faith in you, kid. I don't think you'll lose control, especially now that you're conscientious of it happening. But just to be certain of this, I shall also teach you the art of meditation and various other methods of spiritual training that should help to repel any sinister, crazed thoughts your Saiyan hormones may cause you to have." He paused for a moment, seeing the frightful look on Kakarot's face—immediately, he felt the need to assuage his fears. "If you're afraid, you shouldn't be; I'm sure this is just something that'll plague you during your development and nothing more. Once you mature fully into your adult body, I'm sure any lingering Saiyan tendencies within you will be far gone. Now, are you ready to begin your training?"

Both Namekian and Saiyan locked eyes for what appeared to be hours, each trying to read the other's facial expression. Both stayed firmly locked in their positionings, not even a slight breeze of salty air getting them to budge an inch.

And then suddenly, Nail raised his right arm and extended it to Kakarot, simply waiting.

A sense of euphoria ran through Kakarot's body, immediately causing the child to start trembling in place. There was no doubt his inner Saiyan was relishing the opportunity to gain more power, but something even further within him saw something even greater—it saw the beginning of his true enlightenment as both a Namekian and a Saiyan, the beginning of what would surely be a journey in itself.

With these thoughts in mind, and the hope to create a better future for both Namek and the universe by defeating Frieza, Kakarot reached out and firmly grasped Nail's hand in a handshake.

And with that sudden motion, their training had truly begun.

* * *

"_This will determine your world champion, ladies and gentlemen!"_ came the vibrant, energetic voice of the announcer, riling up the raucous crowd as only he could. _"Let the match between Krillin and Tien Shinhan… begin!"_

The ex-monk, garbed in his signature orange gi that he had adopted from his mentor, Master Roshi, immediately lowered himself into his fighting stance. As he did so, raising his left arm upwards while drawing back his right fist, the sickening, audible CRACK of Yamcha's leg being snapped by the man abreast him kept ringing through his mind. 'I-I've gotta do this… for Yamcha… for Master Roshi... for everyone.'

He knew everyone was counting on him in this moment, that they needed him to avenge Yamcha's defeat to the Crane pupils and show why the Turtle School wasn't to be messed with. Nervous sweat ran down his face in rivulets, though he refused to back down from the challenge at hand—he owed it to everyone who had supported him and helped him become the fighter he was today.

Across from him, Tien, donning a red belt and indigo trousers, confidently smirked as he slid into his own fighting stance. 'This should be far too easy—there's no way a little frightened kid like him can put up a fight against a warrior of _my _caliber.'

Krillin kicked off the tiled ground, the wind violently billowing around his small form as he dashed towards Tien with a loud battle cry. The three-eyed fighter kept a stoic expression until the split-second before the ex-monk struck, throwing his leg out to strike the child. Seeing the attack coming, the Turtle-styled warrior halted his momentum by thrusting his arms downwards into the pavement, immediately stopping him in his tracks and allowing him to perform a handstand. He would then utilize his small stature to his advantage, pushing up off the ground and into the air to avoid a double-fisted smash from the triclops.

As the Crane-styled warrior winced in pain from smashing his knuckles against the solid, firm pavement, he could _feel _the slight change in the air currents above him. He looked upwards to see Krillin, knees fully outstretched, about to crash down on his exposed skull.

He had to think fast.

Quickly, he reached out and gripped his opponent's feet by the ankles, grasping them tightly to ensure his foe couldn't use his smaller size to slip away.

"That was a nice move," complimented Tien as he smirked at the struggling Krillin's feeble antics to escape. Then, just as quickly, he let out a loud cry and began rotating his foe, spinning and spinning him around multiple times until he himself began to lose his full coherency.

"But…" he ground his teeth as he continued to swing his opponent around in the center of the ring, violent gusts of wind beginning to whip harshly against both Tien and his foe, "...it's not enough!" Accentuating his last words with a mighty shout, Tien promptly hurled his opponent towards the stone-covered walls of the entrance area, planning to end the battle quickly and obtain the championship.

* * *

"N-No!" cried out Bulma, shockwaves of fear coursing all throughout her body. 'F-First Yamcha… now Krillin… this can't be happening...' If Shen had his way, it was very probable that Gohan and Roshi were the next on his list to target… and though she could've very well been placed as a target as well, she felt something more in that moment… she felt concern for one of her close friends.

Though he had often tried to make passes at her during their brief time together, Krillin meant more to the aquatic-haired woman than she'd cared to admit. He was a human being who she could vent to, discuss her problems with, and more importantly, _trust _in times of need.

And right now, she needed to put her trust and faith in him one more time as he defended the honor of the Turtle Hermit against the stylings of the Crane School...

* * *

'Krillin…' thought Gohan to himself, watching as his master's current pupil was forcibly flung towards the walls made out of brick. 'You doubt yourself. I can sense it. Let go of those restraints. Don't fight for us—fight for _yourself. _Fight for why you wish to fight, and your mind will act on its own.'

* * *

In that moment, Krillin regained full bearings of his surroundings, somehow mustering up the strength to kick out his feet and rebound off the wall. He tried to immediately dart forward and attack with a double-booted kick, which caught his foe off-guard and forced him to clutch his stomach in pain. From there, Krillin quickly swept out his leg and tripped Tien off his feet; he then used his hands to regain his footing before he kicked his foe across the ring with a mighty shout.

"_What an unbelievable way to get back on the attack!"_ lauded the announcer, shell-shocked with this awe-inspiring performance from Krillin. _"It looks like Krillin's definitely picked up a few new moves and tricks since the last tournament!"_

He didn't have a moment to breathe, however, as it didn't take long for Tien to stabilize himself and get back on the attack. With a battle cry, he zipped forward and connected with a few quick jabs to the abdomen, though his foe was able to quickly sidestep the finishing strike with a swift afterimage.

Tien paused for a moment, closing all three of his eyes in the center of the ring as if he had suddenly stopped fighting. The announcer, as well as the audience, looked on in sheer puzzlement—just what was going on.

It took them no more than a few swift moments to find their answer. Tien smirked, performing a perfect one-eighty spin and lodging his fist firmly into his foe's solar plexus. The impact sent Krillin staggering backwards, but it would not be enough to force him down.

"I-I'm not finished yet!" he declared proudly, crouching back into his fighting stance. 'If he wants to win, he's gonna have to earn it… I don't care if he's the Turtle School's enemy, but if he thinks he can just waltz in and injure our friends without a fight, he's sadly mistaken!'

"I'd hope not," retorted the triclops as he prepared himself for another round of combat, a taunting grin overtaking his features along with a chuckle. He then extended two fingers outward before flicking them backward, daring his opponent to make the first move. "Give it your A game this time!"

Krillin did just that, diving back into the battle and extending his left leg towards Tien's chest for a well-aimed kick. However, that was swiftly ducked under and evaded easily due to Tien's speed, yet the ex-monk's momentum continued to drive him forward. until he was able to ground himself firmly near the edge of the ring. He would then quickly perform a backflip to return to the center of the squared arena, not wanting to take a chance against his crafty opponent.

Upon seeing his opponent land abreast him once again, Tien noticed the slight shift in his foe's stance and capitalized on it, aiming low with a chop block that the ex-monk quickly leapt over and evaded, crouching back on the ground and looking back over his shoulder to see Tien skid to a halt on his bare hands.

Both fighters turned around almost simultaneously and dashed at each other again, though this time it was Krillin who would be able to slip past his foe's defenses, using his smaller stature to grip his foe's arm and pull him into a double-booted dropkick to the face that sent Tien rocketing backwards and toward the barricade.

As he watched his foe uncontrollably barrel backwards, everything seemed to stop in that exact moment, almost as if it had been frozen in time. Tien was just maybe one or two seconds away from slamming his head against the barricade and falling out of bounds—

—and then he suddenly seemed to freeze in midair, floating just inches off the ground and from what would've been his loss. 'T-That was close… I can't believe he's been able to push me this far...'

Krillin wiped the excess sweat from his brow as he saw Tien try and right himself mid-air, a grin forcing its way across his features as he let out a small chuckle. 'So… he can fly on his own power, too? Heheh… I guess I've really got my work cut out for me, huh?'

* * *

From his spot in the audience, Master Roshi observed the fight with a proud grin, not unlike a parent would give to their child. 'Keep it up, Krillin. You're faring better than even Yamcha could against him… heck, if you keep it up, you might actually beat him. Oh, how the days fly by...'

It wasn't very long ago that the ex-monk had approached him with the request to learn martial arts from whom he considered to be the greatest martial artist in the world, Roshi had accepted his request – although it had cost him an 'admission fee' of finding an attractive woman – and immediately commenced his training. From then on, Krillin had grown into the son the Turtle Hermit never had, the two bonding and sharing in nearly every experience together for what seemed to be the span of a lifetime. Roshi had taken a vested interest in his training unlike he had with any other student, teaching him nearly everything he knew about fighting straight from the get-go—his eagerness to learn all he could drove him far in both his own eyes and his master's.

And even to this day, Master Roshi's eyes glimmered with that same happiness as he saw his son in all but blood give his rival's student the fight of his life. 'Become the champion you were destined to be at the last tournament—had you and Yamcha not knocked each other out in the semi-finals, one of you could've given me a real run for my money in the last tournament.'

In this moment, he knew there was hope for the future savors of Earth. In this moment, all Roshi could think of was his everlasting pride and respect for who had once been a shallow boy looking to fight to attract women, but now a true, honorable warrior duking it out with a fellow competitor for the right to be called world champion.

'Go get him, Krillin…' thought Roshi to himself as he watched his student fight to the best of his capabilities. '...Nobody deserves this more than you do.'

* * *

Krillin would attempt to go on the defensive away the ex-monk's first strike with his right arm and retaliating with his own cross, which the smaller fighter had to endure with a winced grunt as he tumbled backwards and nearly out of the ring. However, he quickly righted himself with a back-flip, subconsciously rubbing his cheek in pain before he relaxed his stance, seemingly smiling.

"Well… I knew you were powerful, but you're on a whole other level, aren't you?" chuckled the teen as he readied himself for battle once more. "Seriously… no matter what I throw at you, you always seem to find a way to get back up…"

"You seem to forget who my master was, as opposed to your pathetic, washed-up has-been mentor," sneered back the triclops, his arrogance as prominent as ever. "As long as there's breath in my body, I won't stop fighting."

"Tough talk…" came Krillin's reply, a small smirk coming to his face as his eyes glinted with confidence. "...but can you back it up?"

Krillin raced forward towards his opponent, his heart thumping wildly with each and every step he took on his rapid sprint towards the triclops. Quickly, his foe raised his left arm upwards toward his face, seemingly prepared to guard against anything he had in store.

"Too easy!" the Crane student yelled as he threw his right arm forwards and easily matched his opponent's strength with a well-executed kiai, which _p__assed right through the shimmering afterimage of Krillin._

As quickly as a candle, the afterimage faded, yet Tien didn't seem the slightest bit concerned. He quickly whirled around and fired off a double-handed kiai at the recently materialized Krillin, but that _only vaporized the flickering form of his opponent._

'N-No way!' thought Tien as a bead of sweat began to glide down his cheek, 'he can pull off a double afterimage? What _other _techniques has Roshi taught this kid?'

He soon felt a tap on his pant leg, and he immediately whirled around, kicking _straight through yet another afterimage. _However, as this one fizzled out of existence, another one seemed to simply materialize in the center of the ring, perfectly calm and stoic.

"W-Why, you…" scowled Tien, refusing to believe that this child kept outsmarting him at every turn. Just a few moments prior, he had been the one controlling the bout, yet the tide had turned drastically with the use of just one simple move.

"I did exactly what you asked," came Krillin's voice, yet he somehow managed to keep the reverberation of his voice perfectly concealed—as such, the triclops had absolutely no idea where he could be lurking. "I'm giving it all I've got."

Upon hearing his foe's retort, Tien could only growl in frustration, his mind running amok as he tried to figure out a way to get his foe to expose his location. However, despite how much he wracked his brain for his next strategy, he came up with nothing—although, there was still one maneuver he supposed he could try and pull off. 'If this keeps up, I really might have to resort to _it_...'

"_It looks like Tien's growing desperate, folks! He might be forced into employing some sort of last stand tactic here!" _shouted the announcer, the crowd roaring over his speech in their appreciation and respect for what had been an impressive bout so far.

Tien's third eye glanced towards the announcer as he continued to think to himself. 'He might not be that far off from the truth… though the kid doesn't hit that hard, his durability and technique more than make up for it.' The idea that he could very well lose and be humiliated in front of his master haunted him, and in that moment he recognized that he needed to win. He couldn't hold back any longer; the time was now to fight.

Then, just as quickly as he'd made that vow to himself, the triclops was broken out of his stupor when he noticed Krillin – or, rather, who _appeared _to be Krillin – dashing towards him yet again with his arms fully stretched out and ready to strike.

'It can't be him,' mentally deduced Tien as he relaxed his stance, seeing the figure already beginning to dissipate before his very eyes, 'he's already fadi-'

WHAMM! Just as quickly, Krillin's figure regained its organic glow, and no less than a moment after did he strike, his leg arcing in the air before smashing against the triclops' skull with all the strength he could muster up. As Tien fell forward to his knees, his vision disoriented from the blindingly powerful strike, Krillin leapt over his foe and landed perfectly behind him. He then capitalized on all his momentum, immediately falling forwards and using the ground to kick his feet back upwards in a mule kick, the soles of his feet connecting against the Crane student's foramen magnum and knocking him to the ground. Upon smashing into the ring, Tien's body appeared extremely stiff and unmoving, perhaps down for the count.

'Shaolin Mirage,' internally murmured Krillin to himself as he stood with his back to the fallen Tien, looking out into the vast sea of people who made up the audience for the tournament for a brief moment before smiling and giving his master an enthusiastic thumbs-up. 'Changing from afterimage to afterimage is pretty tough, but training the technique with Master Roshi was pretty effective, I guess.'

As they saw the fighter seemingly unresponsive, all eyes went to the announcer to start officiating the count; however, he seemed too awestruck by the back-and-forth action to do anything of the sort.

Due to the lull in the action, though, the announcer quickly noticed the apparent unconsciousness of Tien and immediately began his count. _"It seems like that last combination from Krillin may have knocked Tien out cold! One!"_

Krillin panted heavily as he whirled around and dropped back into his fighting stance, resisting the urge to drop to one knee and take a moment of rest. He needed to stay on the attack while he had the advantage, lest he lose control of the match the way Tien had moments prior. Had it not been for his picture-perfect illusion strike and how precisely it had caught his foe off-guard, the match could've very well ended in Tien's favor.

"_Two!" _the announcer cried, the audience chanting along with him now. 'He might need a medic after this match is over… no normal human being can be able to take so much punishment...'

Just then, Tien showed the smallest sign of consciousness with a simple twitch of his fingers, unwilling to accept defeat to his opponent so easily. 'G-Gotta get up… ne-need to k-keep fighting...'

Tien then tried to lift his arms up, but his muscles soon gave out on him; his arms lowered and faltered due to all the severe pain he had been dealt, forcing him to crash back down to the ring.

"_Three!" _continued on the announcer, his eyes staying firmly locked on Tien's prone figure as he tried to will his way back up. Alas, even as he tried again to push up his weight, his arms buckled and gravity shoved him down yet again as if he were nothing more but a helpless child.

Tien clawed at the ground below him in a last-ditch attempt to stand, trying to block out the pain as he did so. It wasn't easy, trying to null such a powerful stinging sensation, but he knew if there was ever a time he needed to endure, it was most certainly now. Unfortunately, his body didn't seem to agree with his sentients.

"_Four!" _chirped the announcer, the audience echoing him raucously as if they were officiating the very match themselves.

* * *

"He will understand, boy," came the voice, momentarily pausing to scowl as its owner heard the five-count being officialized by the announcer. "Do as I command. When he rises, finish it."

* * *

"_Six!" _came the shout of the blonde-haired man, just four counts away from declaring Krillin the winner and the world champion. He had to admit that the odds certainly seemed stacked against Tien; there was no way he could stand any longer under his own power. The count seemed like almost a formality, really.

"_Seven!" _ he continued onward, feeling the crowd's anticipation for the final count rising and rising—their fervent cheers and chants for the ex-monk seemed to only support his theory. _'_Tien seems to be moving, but will he muster up the strength he need_s?'_

"_Eight!" _Krillin couldn't believe his ears—was his goal of becoming world champion actually about to become reality?

"_Nine!" _The crowd became deathly silent, the tension in the air so thick it could've been cut with only the sharpest knife. Every single person in the jam-packed arena sat on the edge of their seats to see if Krillin had truly won.

"_Te—"_

Alas, it wasn't meant to be. Tien's three eyes suddenly burst open as he flipped upwards, much to the shock of his opponent and the entire audience, who, in unison, began to murmur about the possibility of the triclops being some sort of superhuman figure.

Then, in that same moment, the Crane student pounced like a hound, two arms protruding from his upper back while his normal arms extended forward, ready to strike. He rushed towards the ex-monk with a sinister grin as he employed his Four Witches technique, figuring the extra arms would aid him greatly now that he had his foe backed into a corner.

However, Krillin had just enough time to throw up his defenses, raising his arms to a guarding position just before the triclops attacked with his frightfully fast flurry of jabs. He constantly weaved through his foe's blows despite it becoming increasingly harder and harder to do so.

"Hyaah!" Tien shouted, putting his sole concentration on breaking through his foe's defensive barrier, yet it was to no avail. With flawless technique, Krillin evaded nearly each and every blow, trying to find some way in which he could attempt to counterattack.

As the duel raged on and on, Krillin couldn't help but notice out of his peripheral vision that he seemed to be nearing closer and closer to the edge of the ring, potentially growing closer and closer to losing the fight as well. Though each and every strike he evaded left him still fighting, one costly slip-up could've cost him the match had he not been careful.

In that moment, one idea struck him, an idea that would either lead him to victory or cost him the entire championship match. As soon as another jab was headed for his neck, he quickly leapt upwards and evaded it, performing a few somersaults to return to the center of the ring. Upon his landing, he quickly pivoted around and dashed forward towards his opponent, who, as expected, was only just turning around to face his opponent—his guard had been lowered; he wasn't prepared for the ex-monk's fist that would—

All of a sudden, pain – searing, blistering pain – crept up through his body, sending jolts and waves of brutal agony throughout his central nervous system. He immediately was halted in his tracks, being kept just barely afloat by some mysterious power, while his ability to move even the slightest finger was ultimately nulled.

As soon as all three of Tien's eyes locked fully onto his paralyzed figure, Krillin knew that it was all over. He immediately dashed forward and capitalized on the situation at hand, nearly breaking the ex-monk's jaw with a nasty uppercut to the skull that snapped his head upward as he fell backward, his body still being put through all kinds of brutal pain due to this unseen force.

The Crane student then landed next to his opponent's prone form, stunned at how simple it had been to take down his opponent. Though the lanky child was certainly by no means a pushover, he had remembered how hard he'd had to battle just to get to this point.

'Something's not right,' thought Tien to himself as he retracted his extra arms, doubt and suspicion beginning to fester in his mind. 'This was too easy! Regardless of whether or not his stamina was drained, there's no possible way he'd just pause in the heat of_—'_

With a scowl, Tien stared directly into the audience, his highly-trained vision seeking out his targets. He knew _exactly _what was going on; he just simply was flabbergasted that it had happened at all.

After only a beat of searching through the sea of people, Tien nastily glared towards two spectators – one a rather aged man, the other a pale white imp, both donning the Crane school uniform - and shook his head with a disapproving frown.

"Chiaotzu!" he shouted, not willing to let his victory come through such dirty, foul means. "Let go of him right this instant, or I will _never _forgive you!" If he was to win today, he would defeat Krillin just as he had defeated his first two opponents_—_under his own power, his fighting ability, and his own skill. He would accept nothing less.

His loyalty to his best friend far outweighed that of his master's, and it was for this reason that Chiaotzu released his telekinetic hold on Tien's opponent and allowed him to break free of his psychic bindings. Almost immediately, he sprang up in surprise, leaping backwards into his fighting stance in case Tien was to strike yet again.

His attack never came.

"W-What?! You knew my orders going into this fight, Tien Shinhan!" snarled Master Shen, livid at his pupils' sudden disobeyance of him. 'Since when do they think they can just ignore my specific commands_—_I gave them their _lives! _I taught them everything they know, and _this is how they repay me?!_''

"I have done as you asked, Master," spoke Tien solemnly, bowing his head, "I have defeated your enemies and defended the honor of our school. The success of this match rests on my shoulders alone; I do _not _need assistance, nor do I require it, from either of you." As stoic as his expression was, the meaning behind each and every word was truly sincere.

"Then prove it!" snarled Shen, not about to allow Tien to stray from his orders. Everything had gone according to his plan up until now, when the triclops had suddenly began to rebel on him from out of the blue. "Prove us wrong, then! Eliminate him at once!" No matter how he sliced it, he simply wanted all remnants of the Turtle school gone. "Do it, Tien Shinhan! Kill that child right now!" Globs of saliva sprayed out of his mouth, his frustration apparent. Tien had been one of his best students before all of this had happened_—_he could have never expected the triclops to rebel against him in such a manner.

The triclops harshly glared at his master, refusing to see eye-to-eye with him any longer. It seemed he was simply swept up in his own blind rage at this point, refusing to listen to any other viewpoint. "No, Master, I _won't _kill Krillin! Doing so would cause me to lose this match—after everything we've fought for, defeating the Turtle School in battle and preserving our honor, you would want to just waste our chance to win the championship? I refuse… my only match with Krillin is going to be _fair _and_ non-fatal!_"

Shen snarled, feeling his window of opportunity to persuade Tien closing further and further with each passing moment. "Never mind the stupid _match_!" he scowled, spitting out the word 'match' as if it were blasphemy to say it. "Make no mistake, my pupil, you _are _a killer, or are you going to forsake your _destiny _as well!?"

He couldn't bear to look at his master any longer; he was not the man he remembered him to be. Somehow, along the way, he had devolved from an honorable trainer and master into a heinous, wicked man who wished to kill anything and everything he despised. "My destiny is not what you believe, Master. I'm no killer."

In that moment, something within Shen snapped, a growl of absolute fury escaping his throat while his fists clenched hard enough to draw blood. "Y-You… weak _coward! _Insolent fool! You've allowed that senile Turtle Hermit to warp and twist your mind! Have you no self-respect for yourself any longer?!"

Just then, the announcer made his way over to the disheveled master, seemingly unaware of his furiosity and anger. "Uh…. excuse me, sir, but I can't have you interrupting the match—"

"I'm speaking!" snarled Shen in response, the announcer immediately scurrying away so as not to become a part of the Crane master's wrath. His obsidian eyes, blazing with fury, then locked onto the triclops once again.

"And as for you… I _made _you, Tien! All that you are, everything you've accomplished, would have been impossible without my guidance! If you had _any _respect for who you are and who I am, you'd finish this fight just as I ordered you to!"

All Tien could do was look exasperatedly toward the ground, his mind conflicted. On one hand, he truly did want to finish this fight just as he'd started it_—_under his own power, fighting for the right to be considered the best in the world. Yet on the other hand, there was still that one lingering thought of his master_—_could he really disappoint him by rebelling this way?

""You are no longer worthy of being a Crane student, Tien Shinhan! And now, your insubordination will cost not only you, but your opponent as well! Chiaotzu, paralyze them _both _where they stand!" he snarled furiously, refusing to accept Tien as he was. This was _not _who he had trained_—_this was a shell of his former self attempting to masquerade as the triclops.

"Umm… Master…" came Chiaotzu's shaky reply, the poor imp nearly beginning to quake in his boots. "I-I_—_"

"_Chiaotzu!" _Shen hissed in fury, turning to his other student with his obsidian eyes blazing in anger and fury. "Don't you _dare _turn your back on me as well! You heard my orders: paralyze those two where they stand _right now_!"

"Master… I will do anything you ask of me…" came the shaky reply of Chiaotzu, his eyes shifting to face the ground, "...but I cannot and will not hurt Tien Shinhan. He's my best friend…"

"Bah! This whole notion of him being your friend is absurd, Chiaotzu!" His arm immediately shot out and grabbed the imp by the front of his Crane-styled uniform, holding him up in the air as he stared into his frightful eyes. A snarl once again escaped his lips, his unbridled fury focused on the pale psychic warrior.

"So, you've been corrupted as well, have you?! Then you, too, can join in Tien's fate!" His right hand raised to form a knife-edge chop, trembling from absolute rage. "I'll kill you both where you stand!"

"_Chiaotzu!" _Tien cried, unwilling to just stand by and watch while his master tried to kill his best friend. Yet at the same time, his body ached with fatigue, enough so that he wouldn't be able to make it in time. What was he to_—_

"_Get back!" _came the cry of a rather-aged voice, its volume loud enough to reverberate around the tension-filled atmosphere. Heeding the cry, Tien looked over his shoulder to see Master Roshi fire off his patented Kamehameha wave, which he immediately leapt to the side to evade.

The beam, which had not been satiated with hitting its target just yet, continued to arc forward in a ray of azure light, heading for the enraged Shen and the frightful Chiaotzu. Then, in the span of a second, the wave struck Shen in the abdomen, carrying him up into the skies above before ultimately dissipating into the day sky with one last twinkle.

* * *

Ignoring the murmurs of the crowd, both Krillin and Tien stood shell-shocked by the Crane master's disappearance. Both knew it had been well-deserved, but to see Master Roshi – who both competitors saw as a kind and respectful elderly man – actually harm another man outside of combat was staggering.

"M-Master Shen…" whispered Tien to himself, still finding it in himself to worry about his overall well-being. "W-Why did you have to… do all this?"

"D-Did Ma-Master really just…?" asked Krillin to himself, unable to believe his very eyes at what he'd just seen. "I never knew he had that in him…"

"Don't worry," came the aged voice of Roshi as he lowered his palms, waiting until both fighters turned to face him once again. Once he locked eyes with his rival's student and his own pupil, he relaxed his stance entirely. "He'll be wounded for a while, yes, but it's nothing he can't endure. I'm sure he's near somewhere on the other side of the planet by now with only minor injuries."

Upon hearing his master's apparent status, all Tien could do was stare solemnly at Roshi, unsure of whether or not to thank him or not. On one hand, he had been responsible for allowing him to be his own person, yet on the other, he'd just wounded his master—the man responsible for raising him to become the person he was today.

"There'll be time to discuss all of this later, you two," continued on Roshi, clenching an aged, wrinkled fist in excitement, "now let's get back to the fight and see who really is the strongest under the heavens!"

* * *

"_I-I…. I've got no words for what's just happened here…" _admitted the announcer truthfully, just as surprised at the recent turn of events as the audience was, "_...Let's just hope that this fight can continue on normally and leave it at that. I hope Master Shen doesn't land on anyone important… just kidding, folks." _It seemed not even a poor joke would be able to lighten the atmosphere today.

Both Tien and Krillin turned back to each other, their eyes locking almost instantaneously. Each knew what must've been running through the other's mind, even as they leapt back and took their fighting stances yet again.

"I'm sorry for what happened to him," Krillin said with sincerity, unwilling to start the match back up just yet. "He doesn't deserve to die, but what he did to you and your friend was just unacceptable."

Tien bowed his head, all three of his eyes closing in respect to his master and all that he had stood for. "I have forsaken my master—don't feel the need to apologize just because of what happened. He brought it on himself. As for now... all that's left for me is this fight, right here and right now. But before it starts, allow me to make one thing clear—this isn't about the rivalry that both our masters share with one another. This isn't about revenge, either. I'm fighting you for one purpose and one purpose only… to win the title of the world's strongest!"

"Glad to hear it! But just so you know… I don't plan on losing this fight just yet!" Krillin began to focus his energy, preparing for another clash with his foe. "If you're going to beat me, it's going to take everything you've got!"

"No matter what measures I have to go to, I _will _defeat you! No matter how long this fight is… or how many tricks you have up your sleeve, I will emerge victorious!"

Krillin nodded with a genuine grin, kicking off the ground and racing toward his opponent with his right arm extended for a roundhouse punch. His foe immediately evaded, bringing up his knee and lodging it into the child's stomach before grabbing his arm and throwing him towards the ground.

The ex-monk immediately tried to flip upwards, but Tien had seen it coming; with a well-timed knee to the skull, he sent his opponent skidding and tumbling back until he managed to right himself just before he was forced out of the ring.

Surprised at the ex-monk's resolve, Tien quickly extended his index finger and gathered his ki, hoping to fire off a quick shot and eliminate his opponent from the ring all in one fell swoop.

"Dodon Ray!" he cried out, the narrow, pencil-thin blast darting forward from his index finger and racing towards Krillin in a deadly glow of golden light.

"S-Shoot! If he hits that dead-on, I'm done for!" exclaimed the Turtle student, recognizing that the sea of people behind him could've been hurt if he tried to dodge. 'I-I guess I've got no choice...'

He threw his arms out, feeling the stinging sensation of the Dodon Ray begin to pierce his creased palms as he tried valiantly to repel it from the crowd. "Rrgh…" he growled, giving it his all to dissipate the ray of light, but to no avail.

"I told you, I'll take any road to victory…" Tien said, inputting another pulse of power into his blast, which immediately forced Krillin to skid back and have one leg slip, falling to the grass and nearly eliminating him. "...Any road at all."

Krillin felt sweat drizzle and pour down his face, a physical reminder of his exhaustion. He couldn't keep this up and he knew it. If his other leg were to fall out of bounds, 'There's gotta be a way… I don't know what, but there's gotta be something I can do...'

Taking a gamble, he concentrated his energy into his palms as if he were firing a Kamehameha wave, that all-too-familiar blue orb of light beginning to form in his extended palms. It immediately clashed against the thin Dodon Ray, the struggle creating blue-and-yellow sparks that razed all around the spectacle of light, before both forms of energy canceled each other out in a small flare of a sea blue coloration.

Upon seeing his opponent regain his full balance inside the ring, Tien gave him a slight nod of respect. "Even against one of my most formidable techniques, you've still managed to find a way to stay in the ring. That's impressive, but I wonder… how will you fight when there's no _ring _to fight in?"

"W-What?!" thought Krillin aloud, shocked by Tien's choice of words. 'He couldn't really be implying he planned to destroy the ring… is he?' One thing was for certain—he'd need to be on his guard for whatever came next.

"When the time comes… avoid it. I don't wish death upon you any longer, which is why I'm granting you this warning now. If you want to survive, I suggest you clear the ring right now." With that he began to ascend to the heavens, slowly levitating upwards and upwards until he reached the clouds, much to the surprise and amazement of the audience around him.

"_It appears as if Tien Shinhan is levitating! We saw him use this technique once before to narrowly escape elimination, but who would've thought he'd be able to actually _fly_?!" _

'What's going on here?' thought Krillin to himself, able to do nothing but watch as his opponent snapped his arms together and charged a golden cascade of light in them. 'I-Is he really thinking about firing off such an attack from the sky?! He… he could _kill us all _if he's not careful! I… I have to stop him somehow!'

* * *

"Tien, no!" cried out Roshi, already recognizing that his cries were futile—regardless of Tien hearing his pleas, he knew that his usage of the Tri-Beam Cannon was imminent. He could understand and respect his warrior's pride, but to go so far as to create wanton destruction just for the honor of winning a battle?!

* * *

"Th-There's no way he's gonna actually go through with this, right?!" exclaimed Bulma, fearful of the raw, unadulterated power being formed right before her very eyes.

* * *

"He can't…" mumbled Yamcha to himself, trying to convince himself that Tien wouldn't take such drastic measures to win. "But yet… there's no way he can just stop gathering all that power… he's really going to go through with this…" Immediately, he turned to his master, his eyes ablaze with determination. "Master! We've got to stop him somehow!"

"I-I'm afraid that's impossible, Yamcha," came the quiet, yet insightful, reply of Gohan, who could do nothing but stare at the huge amalgamation of energy. "I recognize your determination and respect it, but not even our combined might would be able to stop his charging of power without fatalities throughout the audience."

"B-But…" Yamcha tried to retort, but soon realized his master was right—there was no stopping Tien now that he'd gotten so far into the process of setting up his Tri-Beam. "Can't we try_ anything at all?"_

He was met with nothing other than dead silence, providing him with his answer. All they could do was leave their fate in Tien's hands and wait…

* * *

Back upward in the sky, Tien's three eyes stayed locked onto the arena as he charged his energy, knowing that this would be the ultimate and final attack. No matter what, he would either seal his opponent's fate with his Tri-Beam or give him the perfect opportunity to win the match.

He didn't care that the attack would take years off his life due to it drawing on his life force, nor did he care that he was about to sacrifice months and months of constructors' hard work on the ring—what mattered was attaining victory, just as he vowed to do just a few minutes prior.

With a shout of pure power, he began to spread his arms apart, a golden cacophony of light forming between either of his arms. Then, concentrating more power into this large mass of energy, he formed his hands in a diamond-resembling shape, the energy within his palms now adjusting itself into the same geometric shape. 'I have to use enough energy to destroy the ring in its full entirety… but if I slip up and use too much power, I could destroy everything in sight. This has to be perfect...'

As he stared down at the ring through the triangle-like formation of his hands, he locked on further and watched as Krillin took a defensive stance, seemingly preparing to block his ultimate attack.

'Surely he'll recognize that he has no choice but to eliminate himself from the ring,' Tien concluded, tendrils of raw energy continuing to arc up and down his hands. 'There's no other option—I will win this match!'

Just then, he realized it was ready to be fired. Shutting his two front eyes, his third staying locked onto his opponent, he took aim and prepared for the end.

"TRI-BEAM…" Tien shouted, the high-pitched squeal of his attack growing ever louder as it shone ominously above the skies, filling them with a yellow hue of raw power. "HAAAAH!"

At that precise moment, he fired the blast, the diamond-resembling blast freefalling towards the ground, and subsequently, towards his opponent. Its raw power could be seen and felt by everyone in the general vicinity, eliciting screams and wails from the audience as they tried to protect themselves from the incoming attack.

* * *

"Tien, no!" cried out Chiaotzu, already knowing it was too late to stop him. All he could do was trust Tien, as he always had, and hope that he hadn't been too blinded by pride to realize he could've very well just sacrificed his own life for nothing more than a championship. But at the same time, Chiaotzu knew a true battle meant everything to his friend; there was simply no in-between for him. In a way, he understood that he had to do this...

* * *

"HAAAAAAAAAAAH!" Tien cried as the large attack continued to arc downwards toward the ring, nearly threatening to exhaust himself. But regardless of his fatigue, he kept on pressing down the attack, knowing that this was a gamble he simply had to take.

It soon collided with the ring and swallowed it whole in a display of awesome power, encompassing the ground and shredding each and every tile apart with the raw energy behind it. The resulting explosion hurled debris and dust everywhere, causing the viewers and the announcer to shriek vehemently.

And then, just a few seconds later, the ring of the tournament and all that was in it was suddenly no more. Its raw power had decimated everything in its wake, nearly expanding to destroy the arena itself. Luckily for the spectators there, Tien had been able to accurately predict the amount of energy he'd needed to achieve his goal.

The blast had left a gaping hole where the fighting grounds once were, leaving absolutely nothing but a large black void of darkness. The spectators gaped in both astonishment and awe, unable to believe that one man could contain so much power within him.

But there was one thing that everyone was able to notice: Krillin, the brave warrior who had fought Tien for all this time, was no longer present. He was simply… gone.

* * *

"W-Where's Krillin?!" exclaimed Yamcha fearfully, unwilling to accept that his long-time friend had just perished. After all they'd been through together, was he really destined to go out this way? "H-He can't be…"

"I hate to be the pessimist here, guys," said Oolong as he tried to stare into the gaps of the freshly-made crater, "but I don't see how anyone could've survived such a powerful attack!"

"I-I think you're right…" murmured Bulma to herself, slowly recognizing the probability of Krillin surviving had decreased with each and every passing second. "Not even Master Roshi, Gohan, or Krillin _himself _would've been able to generate so much power."

Next to his long-time friend, Gohan placed a consoling hand on her shoulder, feeling his eyes begin to brim with tears. 'Krillin… Yamcha and I always saw you and Roshi as our rivals to overcome, yet you always seemed to manage to stay one step ahead of us each and every time we did battle. While you may no longer be with us, I shall never forget your spirit, kind-heartedness, and determination. I'm… so sorry your time has come so early...'

* * *

"I-I…" Roshi began, bowing his head in both a combination of sorrow and anger. "I was wrong to judge Tien as a fighter… there's no comparison…" His poor judgement had just cost his adoptive son his life, which stung worse than any physical blow could've.

Then, suddenly, he felt an energy signal flicker in the sky; he quickly looked upwards to see if it was indeed who he thought it was. His mind couldn't have been playing tricks on him, could it?

'It can't be…' thought Roshi, his jaw nearly dropping to the ground. But just as quickly, a proud smile overcame his features as he recognized the truth. 'Krillin… you must be one hell of a fighter to survive something like that...'

* * *

"K-Krillin is… alive!" exclaimed Chiaotzu, shell-shocked that the Turtle-styled warrior had been able to escape such a fatal attack. How had he managed to pull it off? He distinctly remembered seeing the ex-monk stand there until the Tri-Beam came into contact with the ring_—_

—and then, in that moment, he knew for certain that Krillin was still alive…

* * *

"Hah… hah…" panted Tien in exasperation, feeling the side-effects of utilizing such a powerful blast so quickly. 'Was he able to escape that Tri-Beam Cannon? I never saw him move once I locked onto the ring… yet I wouldn't count against him being able to escape at the last second. But where could he have_—_'

Just then, out of nowhere, Krillin leapt into the air abreast him, stirring up more gusts of wind as he did so. A small grin crept up his face as he saw Tien's shock and awe written all over his face, amazed that he could do the impossible and keep himself afloat. "Surprised?"

A grin growing on his expression, Tien let out a small laugh of excitement_—_it had been quite a while since a fight had given him this much of a thrill. "You made it! I can't say I'm surprised, to be honest with you…" the triclops then smirked deviously, realizing his advantage. "...but you're fighting on borrowed time here. There's no way you can last more than ten seconds in the air against me, especially when you don't know how to fly?"

Just then was when he realized a slight shimmer in Krillin's figure, and by the time he looked upwards, it had already been too late.

"HYAAAH!" Krillin shouted as he dove downwards toward his opponent, striking the triclops' skull with both his knees as he tackled him downwards with his full weight. Hoping to capitalize on his sneak attack, the ex-monk tightened his fists and let loose on his opponent's skull, each blow connecting violently against his opponent preventing him from forming any sort of counterattack at all.

As he could make out the arena clearer and clearer, Krillin grinned triumphantly, foolishly raising his arms upward in victory. "I've done it!" he cried jovially, realizing that the title of world champion was merely seconds away…

...but as soon as he did so, Tien gripped his arm with all the strength he could muster and performed a three-sixty, reversing their positioning in mid-air. He then quickly fired off a double-booted dropkick to the abdomen, accelerating Krillin's fall to the ground before he ultimately slammed roughly into the grass, officially ending the fight and awarding Tien the victory.

"_I-I don't believe it!" _ shouted the announcer in rabid excitement, awestruck at the performance both Krillin and Tien Shinhan put on for the crowd. _"After a back-and-forth battle, your victor, ladies and gentlemen… Tien!"_

He was met with raucous applause and cheer as he touched down on the outside of the ring, but he couldn't bask in his victory due to the nagging injuries that stung him. 'Even if I won… he really did a number on me...'

The world around him soon began to dim, and out of his peripherals he could see darkness creeping up on him. His legs soon buckled and he pitched forward, falling to the ground in both pain and fatigue.

It only took a moment later for the pain to envelop him and carry him into unconsciousness…

* * *

"Tien!" Chiaotzu cried upon seeing his friend collapse on the grass, immediately darting over and tending to his side. "Somebody, please, help him!"

Immediately, Roshi and Gohan – who had immediately leapt over the barricade upon hearing Chiaotzu's cry for help – rushed over and bent down to look at the triclops' wounded form, immediately noticing the agonized expression on his face. Though he had appeared to have fallen into unconsciousness from that brutal fight, it appeared that the pain he had been forced to endure was still taking its toll out on his body.

"He's definitely in bad shape," noted Gohan as he observed the welts and bruises already beginning to form on Tien's caucasian skin. "Frankly, I'm amazed he was able to fight for as long as he did."

"He and Krillin are definitely some resilient warriors, that's for sure," beamed Roshi with a small chuckle, amazed that there were two fighters of such a caliber. 'They're so young as well… they can only grow stronger and stronger from here...'

His expression turning serious once again, Roshi heavily examined the wounds over Tien's body. "They're indeed rough, but they're nothing to concern ourselves over without some basic treatment." He then made his way over to Krillin's side, finding him to have rather similar injuries. "Certainly nothing to worry about, but we may as well get a doctor out here just to be safe."

Standing up, Gohan gave a quick glance to his master before turning around to face the entrance to the arena. "Allow me to go. Make sure to keep an eye on them in case they wake up… especially Tien. I don't disbelieve he no longer wishes to kill us all, but I must admit I'm still wary of him."

Roshi grimly nodded, realizing that his former student did have a point. While he'd have loved for Tien to make a complete reformation from his heinous ways right from the start, he couldn't deny there were still quite the number of things they needed to talk about. "Completely understandable, Gohan. Hurry back."

* * *

As he broke into a full run in the hallways of the tournament building, his eyes darting from side to side in search of a medic, Gohan felt further paranoia about Tien and his accomplice. Though he had spared and mentored Yamcha, seeing him as a lost soul who had never found his calling in life, he was reluctant to accept the former Crane student as benevolent people. They were trained to have been cold-blooded assassins—could they just really move on to hold peaceful lives without committing any murders? He sincerely had his doubts on that.

Just then, the flicker of an all-too-familiar sphere caught his eye; he immediately halted in his tracks and remembered he'd forgotten his Four-Star Dragon Ball back when he had been helping Master Roshi into his Jackie Chun wig.

He moved forward to pick up the sphere, recalling all the memories that had come with defending that Dragon Ball from falling into the wrong hands, ranging from his humbling of Yamcha to his battles with Pilaf and his gang. Even after Oolong's rather perverse request was fulfilled by Shenron, Gohan had used his super-speed to track it down, catching the sphere before it had the chance to roam too far. Since then, he had kept it alongside him at all times, unwilling to let it be used for nefarious purposes.

Little did he know that his life was flashing before his very eyes.

A lightning-fast claw reached out from behind and brutally impaled the former Turtle student through the chest, immediately causing his vision to spin as he fell face-forward to the ground in front of the Dragon Ball he'd worked so hard to protect.

In its reflection, he could see what could only be described as a demon – what with his green skin, sinister features, and his dragon-resembling wings – loom over him with a bloodthirsty grin, raising his left hand upward and preparing to end his life.

"That's one Dragon Ball down for Lord Piccolo's reign of terror," it grinned horridly, the name drawing out one last shriek of agony from the elderly man as his life was snuffed out with another claw to the chest.

* * *

_Thanks a lot for reading the third chapter of _Turbulence! _As I've said above, believe me when I say that the wait was definitely not meant to be this long, but this was a huge, action-packed chapter that needed every detail it could get. I don't think I can doubt that my skills have vastly improved by writing this chapter, and I strongly feel that the fun and excitement will only continue in chapters to come!_

_Before I move on, the Shaolin Mirage is basically a play off the real-life technique known as the Shaolin Fist, which is a martial-arts technique utilized by Shaolin Kung Fu practitioners. Basically, the concept of the technique is that Krillin is able to focus his spiritual and physical energy all into his movements, which allow him to transfer his physical essence from one Afterimage into another, all while still leaving the previous Afterimage where it stands until it is either hit or vaporized. While I was the one to think up the original concept, my friend SpiderLedgic was the one to help me develop the name for the attack, so please thank him by checking out some of his awesome fics, which I also have a hand in as his primary editor._

_The title Clash of Beliefs is both metaphorical and literal in specific aspects of the chapter. In the beginning scene with Kakarot and Nail, we see the vast contrast between average Saiyan and Namekian characteristics and how Kakarot aspires to be the best of both(something that will take him many years of soul-searching and experience to accomplish). The Earth scene differed greatly, as it was more of a physical battle between Krillin and Tien to prove their superiority to one another, but it soon evolved into a mental struggle which saw Tien come out a better person because of it. Speaking of, if you have questions about any prior events that you'd like more information on or more information about the Shaolin Mirage, feel free to review with your thoughts and I'll reply here in the next chapter!_

_To follow up on the first part of the chapter, I have a feeling many of you aren't exactly going to be fans of this whole "inner Saiyan struggle" concept. That's okay; believe me, I'm not a fan of it either. However, it is necessary to showcase Kakarot's progression and failures as a character_, _as he is spiritually both Saiyan and Namekian. It won't appear too often, and Kakarot will have many more struggles without this concept even coming into play, but I figured I should at least address it due to my respect for all of you readers and your possible concerns with the story._

_**And to conclude this terribly long author's note, I'd just like to mention that **_**Turbulence**_** now has its very own TV Tropes page! If you're an experienced troper, I would really appreciate you helping me to further the page along with new tropes and examples of already-existing tropes up there! It'll take me a lot of work to do this, which is why I would greatly value any contributions made by you readers.**_

_In the next chapter, the story takes its first true radical divergence from the canonical plotline as we begin an entire new saga next chapter! I'm sure you can guess at who it's going to be, but it'll be exciting nonetheless!_

**-Ultimate Black Ace: As for who the future protectors of earth are going to be, Yamcha is currently the best bet. Gohan is old, extremely so, so his days of being a fighter are coming to a close. Yamcha is getting the benefits of his training and experience, putting him ahead of Krillin and at the very least we need someone close to Tien's level who he can respect in order to reform him.**

Sadly, Gohan's day in the limelight is over, though I'm sure it wasn't in the way you expected(more on that later on). While the idea of Yamcha fighting Tien in the finals would've no doubt been an interesting concept, I needed to have some sort of redemption angle that Krillin could work towards. As it's my intention to spread the spotlight on the characters, I felt that a nice way to share that would be to have Krillin get the nod here. As for why he is so much more capable than his canon counterpart, Krillin being Roshi's sole student was basically able to skyrocket him in terms of fighting capability(power, speed, stamina, etc.). While Turbulence Krillin isn't exactly as strong as canon Goku was at this point in time, as Tien noted in this chapter, the ex-monk's variety of abilities and his fighting style is able to allow the human to keep up with the triclops. Undoubtedly, though, Tien is ultimately the stronger of the two.

I will say this about the characters' developments: now that a particular saga begins officially next chapter, you'll get a very large hint at the Z-roster and what kind of roles they'll be playing.

**-Supersaiyaninfinitygohan: First off, congrats on all the support and this was a really great need. Although I have noticed a rather glaring problem: Dialogue. Besides the Namekian elders, everybody is FAR too formal. A staple of Dragon ball was that for a long time all the heroes and villains were rather laid back and didn't care much for grammar or big words, so everything just felt like it flowed better.**

**Also, when I checked on the wiki, it said Akira Toriyama had always imagined Puar as a boy.**

That's a reasonable thing to say. It was my intention, however, to have Kakarot and Nail speak with such an inflection, as the Saiyan child is drastically altered from what he would've been as Goku, and Nail… well, he's a Namekian as well, so I try to write him with that same poise to give him a little extra flair as a character. I find your comments about the dialogue somewhat odd, though, as I did borrow many canonical lines for Yamcha, Puar, Oolong, Tien(from this chapter), and a few other characters.

As far as that anthropomorphic cat goes, it's very easy to identify Puar as either gender. I've seen fics that address Puar as male and also a few that are female. I decided to personally go with the latter, as I always thought Puar a more feminine character than masculine. Of course, it's ultimately up to your interpretation, but for all intents and purposes, Turbulence will feature Puar as a female character.

–**SaiyanWanderer: Love this story so far! Keep it updated! The idea of Goku landing on Namek instead of earth is a superb idea and having Grandpa Gohan as the protagonist of earth is totally original. I am excited to see what the upcoming conflicts are in your story and i cant wait to see they are handled. Hopefully the earthlings are ready for King Piccolo and the Saiyans, i would hate for them to lose but i know you got some great ideas for this and once again im and pretty excited! Please update soon!**

Thank you kindly for your superlatives. Unfortunately for Grandpa Gohan, he had to perish in this chapter, but not just for the reason of killing him because he won't be fighting any longer. His death will be key to the storyline that develops with King Piccolo in a way you might not be expecting.

**-Goku96: Great story so far I'm looking foward to the next chapter. Although i have a question is yamcha going to take Goku's role in dragonball like fighting red ribbon army,piccolo etc. and also are they first going to meet kakarot when they first go to namek?**

1. I can definitively tell you that while Yamcha is going to be a very important character, he's not going to be taking the role of Goku in DB. To be honest, nobody will be going to. A key element of this story is going to be how everyone has to step up in Kakarot/Goku's absence and work together to overcome various threats. They'll succeed in some scenarios, but others may not be so fortunate.

2. I can't divulge when the two plots intersect and finally become one concrete story, but I will say that it will occur sooner than you might think.

**-Zalkari Ament: As for new characters, will you add any? I mean sometimes I think there should be new characters.**

If you're referring to original character's offspring(ex. a hypothetical Vegeta/#18 child or something to that degree), then yes, I will have a few of them(in fact, I may very well be featuring an original character created by another author). However, in regards to actual new characters being incorporated… I'm going to have to lean towards saying no for the moment. There may be a few other Namekians and maybe some footsoldiers for Frieza's army being named, but ultimately I don't think I'll be creating any "lasting" OC's that'll be making a big impact on the story, aside from the offspring of the original DBZ characters.

**-Originality: All right, I think I've seen enough of this nonsense. **

**Your story is GREAT so far, and completely original. Wanna know why it's original? Easy. You're putting your heart into it.**

**Everywhere I'm looking at DBZ fics I'm seeing that people are concerned with adding things or making sure that their pairings haven't been done before. TO that I say: who cares? The only thing you need to make sure of is that what you wanna write is what you're writing into the chapter. I don't really care if you have Kakarot and Bulma or Kakarot and Chi-Chi or even Kakarot x Zangya for all I freakin' care. I want to see the story that YOU write, not what another person writes. **

Well, thank you and all the other reviewers kindly for not being shy to express your opinions on the whole pairings matter. My decisions are not going to be swayed by readers' opinions/desires, but I will say that I will give nothing less than my full attention to make any couple I write as believable and authentic as I write the rest of my story. To be quite honest with you all, this story isn't your 'orthodox' DBZ fic—I'm not afraid to diverge drastically from the canonical timeline, and it's quite probable that while this story will contain mostly all DBZ elements. I plan to make many additional twists to the characters and timeline to make it all my own unique story that you won't find anywhere else.


End file.
